An Odessa resident appeared in court for calling for the city's occupation on TikTok

Prosecutors from the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office have filed an indictment with the court against a 52-year-old Odesa resident who is accused of spreading pro-Russian propaganda, justifying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, and calling for the occupation of the city.

This was reported by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the investigation, in October 2025, the man posted a video on his TikTok page featuring a speech by a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, who, while appearing on a Russian television channel, called for Russian troops to seize Odesa.

In addition, the defendant participated in a live stream by a pro-Russian TikTok account, which was viewed by nearly 300 users. During the broadcast, he supported the missile strikes on Odesa, endorsed the actions of the aggressor state, and commented on the shelling of the city.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the findings of a forensic linguistic analysis confirmed that the materials and statements he disseminated were unlawful.

The man is charged with promoting war, denying the Russian Federation’s armed aggression against Ukraine, and disseminating materials in the media that justify and deny the Russian Federation’s armed aggression and the temporary occupation of part of Ukraine’s territory (Article 436 and Part 3 of Article 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

In June 2026, he was notified of the charges against him. The indictment has now been submitted to the court.

If found guilty, the defendant faces up to eight years in prison.

The pretrial investigation was conducted by officers of the SBU Directorate in Odesa Oblast under the procedural supervision of the Odesa Oblast Prosecutor’s Office.

Андрій Колісніченко