A Mykolaiv resident was sentenced to prison for posting a photo of an island showing Ukrainian Armed Forces positions

In Mykolaiv, a court sentenced a man to five years in prison for sharing information about the locations of Ukrainian troops via Telegram.

The Ingulsky District Court of Mykolaiv handed down the sentence. 

As established by the court, the man began exchanging messages with a Telegram user in early August 2023. In his messages, he shared information about the formation of Ukrainian military units, specifically reporting on troops stationed in Koblevo, Mykolaiv Oblast.

In March 2024, the man sent his contact videos and photographs showing the locations of Ukrainian troops on Kozachyi Island in the Ochakiv District. He also sent images from Google Maps marking the locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces units.

On August 19, 2023, at 12:07 a.m., the man sent a message reading:“Hi. Here’s the thing… Basically, they’re forming a unit. Two of them. One for the Kherson direction. They’re forming it in Koblevo. The other one for Zaporizhzhia. I won’t say anything about that one. But this is a fact from the military registration and enlistment office. This information isn’t for the channel. Let people know. How, when, and where they’ll be sent—that’s the question. But they’re being rounded up. When all this will kick off—or if it will kick off at all—we don’t know. I take responsibility for this information.” 

During the search, law enforcement officers seized a cell phone, a tablet, 34 rounds of ammunition, and a jar containing a plant-based substance. An examination determined that 33 rounds were serviceable, and the seized substance contained 7.2 grams of cannabis.

The man pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. The court took into account his lack of prior convictions and the fact that he has a minor child in his care.

He was sentenced to five years in prison for disseminating information about the locations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and for the illegal possession of ammunition and drugs not intended for sale. The phone will be confiscated, the ammunition and cannabis will be destroyed, and the convicted man must pay 13,052 hryvnias for forensic examinations. The verdict may be appealed within 30 days.

Анна Літман