A Russian sympathizer was convicted in Mykolaiv of espionage and propaganda

A man in Mykolaiv was convicted of using Telegram during the war to transmit information about the locations of Ukrainian military units and to disseminate pro-Russian content. This information helped the enemy track military facilities and the movements of the Defense Forces.

This was reported by Intent, citing the verdict of the Ingulsky District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the investigation, the man was an active member of a pro-Russian Telegram community, which at the time of the investigation had over 13,000 members. The group discussed war events and collected information about the activities of Ukrainian defense forces. Law enforcement officials determined that after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, one of these channels began to be used to gather information about the consequences of shelling, the movement of military equipment, and the deployment locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces units.

In September 2022, the man used a chatbot to transmit a message regarding the location of Ukrainian troops and equipment on the grounds of the former Black Sea Shipyard in Mykolaiv. In addition, he reported on the transport of ammunition to the Kulbakine military airfield.

A separate aspect of the case involved the dissemination of pro-Russian statements in a Telegram chat. Specifically, the man published a post containing the words “Crimea is ours” and expressed support for the actions of the aggressor state. During the investigation, law enforcement officers seized the man’s phone and gained access to his account. The examination revealed that he had posted at least 567 messages in the pro-Russian chat.

During the trial, the man partially admitted his guilt. He claimed that some of his messages had been taken out of context and described the information about “Javelins” as a joke he had heard from a military acquaintance. He also insisted that he did not support the war and had no intention of helping the enemy.

Ultimately, the court found the man guilty of unauthorized dissemination of information regarding the movement and location of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as of justifying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

In May, a man was convicted of treason in Mykolaiv for transmitting data about the Ukrainian Armed Forces to a Russian representative via Telegram. Although he denied guilt and claimed the information was fabricated, the court deemed it genuine and useful to the enemy.

Анна Бальчінос