Kyiv-based ‘political expert’ facing eight years in prison for fabricating stories for Russian media
A self-proclaimed “political expert” in Kyiv, Dmytro Korniychuk, is facing jail time for fabricating news stories about the war in Ukraine for Kremlin-backed media, Ukraine’s SBU Security Service announced.
The suspect denied Russia's military aggression and tried to discredit the leadership of Ukraine's Defense Forces in support of the invading nation, the SBU said. He also spread misinformation about Ukraine's sociopolitical situation to damage the country's international reputation.
Korniychuk frequently appeared on pro-Russian TV channels that had been banned, including 112 Ukraine, Nash, and NewsOne before the war broke out, an unnamed NV source said.
The self-proclaimed expert spread fakes through a YouTube channel and social media pages.
Major Russian television channels and internet sites actively promoted his posts and videos, using them to fabricate stories and inflammatory content. His combined audience across these platforms exceeded 500,000 users.
Russian propagandists invited Korniychuk to participate in television broadcasts on Russian state media channels, including Zvezda, owned by Russia's Defense Ministry.
Searches uncovered computers and phones that contained evidence of Korniychuk's subversive activities, the SBU said.
SBU investigators informed Korniychuk that he is being charged under Articles 2 and 3 of Article 436-2 of Ukraine's Criminal Code for justifying, legitimizing, and denying Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, as well as glorifying the participants of this aggression.
Korniychuk is currently being held in custody while awaiting trial. He faces up to eight years in prison along with property confiscation.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
