Woman arrested in Odesa for pro-Russian talks about strikes on the city

In Odesa, a court placed under house arrest a woman suspected of justifying and denying Russia's war against Ukraine. In private conversations, she questioned Russia's responsibility for the missile strikes and expressed positions that were in line with the rhetoric of the aggressor state.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.

According to the investigation, after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the suspect, who shared pro-Russian views and was critical of the current government, formed an intention to justify and deny the armed aggression of Russia, which began in 2014, as well as the temporary occupation of part of the territory of Ukraine.

In particular, on April 24, 2024, during a private telephone conversation, she discussed a missile attack on a military facility in the area of the so-called Humpbacked Bridge in Odesa. In the conversation, the suspect noted that the military unit had been hit hard, claimed that the facility allegedly housed air defense systems and launched missiles. She also expressed the opinion that strikes against the central government would be more appropriate and suggested the need to change the country's political leadership, noting that society, in her opinion, should "intensify" certain processes.

In April 2024, according to the case file, during another phone conversation, the woman discussed events in frontline cities, in particular in Pokrovsk, and expressed her belief that after a possible seizure of the territories, they would be rebuilt. She also noted that destruction during the war was inevitable, advised her interlocutor to take out the documents for the property and assumed further advancement of the occupiers.

During another conversation, the suspect speculated about the causes of the explosions in Odesa. In particular, she claimed that some of the hits, including on a commercial facility and a church, could have been the result of Ukrainian air defense. She also drew attention to the absence of official reports from the Russian defense ministry about the shelling of the city, which, in her opinion, could indicate other circumstances of the events.

According to the conclusion of the expert and specialists of the Security Service of Ukraine in Odesa region, the recorded conversations revealed signs of denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, as well as statements containing signs of justification. On February 13, 2026, the woman was served a notice of suspicion of committing a crime under Part 1 of Art. 436-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The suspect was placed under house arrest until April 13. She was also informed that the National Police officers have the right to monitor her behavior, come to her place of residence, demand oral or written explanations and use electronic means of control.

SBU counterintelligence and cyber specialists also reported the exposure of two Ukrainian citizens in Odesa region who were recruited by the enemy to illegally register Starlink systems.

Анна Бальчінос