A pensioner from the Mykolaiv region was sentenced for liking posts supporting the Russian army

A few simple "likes" on a social media platform banned in Ukraine led to a criminal conviction for a pensioner from the Mykolaiv region. For years, the man shared content that justified Russian aggression, glorified the Russian military, and denied the occupation of Ukrainian territories. 

This was reported by Intent, citing the ruling of the Veselynove District Court.

According to the case file, the defendant—a pensioner from the village of Veselynove—had been using the Russian social media platform Odnoklassniki, which is blocked in Ukraine, for a long time. 

The investigation established that the man was a member of dozens of pro-Russian communities with names such as “I Want to Be in the USSR,” “I Support Putin,” "I Support Russia," "Anti-Maidan," "Patriots of Russia," and so on. Through his public account, he shared or endorsed content accessible to hundreds of other users.

Law enforcement officials took notice of his numerous likes and shares of posts justifying the war. The man supported posts about the so-called “SVO,” glorified Russian military personnel fighting against Ukraine, praised the Russian president, and shared messages about the alleged “return” of Ukrainian territories to the Russian Federation. The content also included posts denying the occupation of Crimea and approving the seizure of Ukrainian cities.

According to court documents, the pensioner systematically liked propaganda posts. Posts calling on Ukrainians to “come to their senses and drive out Banderaism,” as well as posts claiming that Russiawas “taking back its lands as the rightful owner.”

Some posts contained explicit insults against Ukrainians, support for the militants of the so-called DNR and LNR, as well as glorification of Russian military personnel and mercenaries.

During the investigation, SBU officers documented a large number of such materials on the man’s page. In court, the man fully admitted his guilt. He stated that he used Odnoklassniki primarily for games and communication and allegedly was unaware that the social network was banned in Ukraine. He also said that he did not realize the consequences of liking the posts. 

As a result, the man was found guilty of justifying and denying Russia’s armed aggression and was sentenced to two years’ probation.

In Mykolaiv, supporters of the “Russian World” who publicly backed Russia’s aggression and called for the occupation of Ukraine are largely avoiding real punishment even after court verdicts. Some of them receive only suspended sentences or fines, continuing to work in government and municipal institutions.

Анна Бальчінос