A monk, a mechanic, and a prison chief: Inside Ukraine’s latest crackdown on homegrown Russian propagandists

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Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) detained three suspected pro-Russian agitators across the country who publicly supported Moscow’s ongoing armed aggression and justified Russian war crimes, the SBU reported on 2 February. The suspects—a car mechanic, a monk, and a detention facility chief—reportedly used Telegram and TikTok to spread Kremlin narratives, with one calling for a missile strike on Kyiv and another defending the Bucha massacre. All three face up to eight years in prison with property confiscation.

Kharkiv mechanic called for Oreshnik strike on Kyiv

SBU says its military counterintelligence in Kharkiv exposed a 55-year-old car service worker who urged Russian forces to hit Kyiv with an Oreshnik missile. The suspect mass-distributed such messages through Telegram channels under an anonymous profile. Investigators traced the posts back to him despite his attempts to conceal his identity, the security agency reports.

Monk hoarded rubles while preaching Kharkiv’s annexation

Also in Kharkiv Oblast, security forces detained a monk from a men’s monastery of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Orthodox Church. The clergyman reportedly called for Russian forces to capture Kharkiv and “annex” it to Russia in pro-Kremlin social media groups. The investigation established that he made similar statements during conversations with parishioners in his religious community. Searches at the suspect’s residence uncovered an equivalent of about $60,000 —some of which he kept in Russian rubles, the report states.

Detention facility head defended Bucha massacre on TikTok

In Mykolaiv Oblast, SBU cyber specialists working with the State Bureau of Investigation and National Police detained the head of a temporary detention facility. She reportedly justified Russian war crimes committed in Bucha. To spread Kremlin propaganda, she registered a TikTok account under a fake name.

SBU investigators notified all three of suspicion under two articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code: Article 436-2 (justifying, recognizing as lawful, or denying Russian armed aggression against Ukraine and glorifying its participants) and Article 161 (inciting national enmity and hatred). The suspects remain in custody and face up to eight years in prison with property confiscation.

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