Zatoka resident gets suspended sentence for administering anti-mobilization channel

The Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi City District Court found a native of Zatoka village guilty of obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and sentenced him to five years in prison, with a two-year probation period.

During the full-scale invasion, he created and administered a Telegram channel in which he spread calls against mobilization in Ukraine, Bessarabia INFORM reports.

The court found that during 2024, the defendant distributed publications calling for obstructing the work of territorial recruitment centers and evading mobilization activities. In a community with more than two thousand subscribers, he published instructions and posts that formed a negative attitude towards mobilization and called for opposition to it. In addition, using foul language, the man called on the military personnel who are defending Ukraine and fighting the Russian aggressor "not to obey the orders of the authorities." The offender also called on his community to "support" his activities and published bank card details for money transfers.

His actions were classified as obstructing the legitimate activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a special period. During the trial, the defendant pleaded guilty, sincerely repented and entered into a plea agreement with the investigation.

The court also confiscated the mobile phone used for the publications and recovered from the convict more than UAH 11,000 in forensic costs.

Earlier, the Rozdilnyansky District Court of Odesa Region sentenced a local resident to five years in prison for obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations. However, she was also commuted to a suspended sentence. The woman joined an open group on Viber, where participants reported on the movements of the military and the locations of mobilization groups, and in October-December 2025, she posted 11 messages there about the location of alert groups of territorial recruitment and social support centers.

Кирило Бойко