The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained five pro-Russian collaborators who were attempting to launch a "rebel movement" to destabilise the situation in Ukraine.

Source:Security Service of Ukraine; Office of the Prosecutor General

Details: The SSU said the Workers’ Front of Ukraine, a pro-Kremlin organisation acting on orders from Russia, had attempted to launch protest movements in Ukraine.

Quote from the SSU: "According to the case materials, the suspects, under the guise of disseminating neo-communist ideas, encouraged Ukrainians to rebel against the authorities and lay down their arms and surrender to the Ruscists.

Among other things, the suspects urged citizens of conscription age to evade mobilisation and called on serving military personnel to disobey orders from their commanders and commit desertion. The agitators also suggested that Ukrainian defenders should join together in so-called ‘soldiers’ committees’ in order to collectively refuse to take part in hostilities on the front line."

Detention of a suspect

Photo: Security Service of Ukraine

Details: In order to spread the Kremlin's narratives, the suspects created pages for their association on various social media platforms, amassing more than 30,000 subscribers. The suspects also stuck large numbers of propaganda flyers up in the streets of Ukrainian cities, featuring a QR code for the pro-Russian organisation and calls to disrupt mobilisation.

The SSU noted that the criminals would visit at least 30 addresses daily and put propaganda flyers up on noticeboards or just stick them on the walls. They set up clandestine printing houses in their homes to print propaganda materials.

The SSU detained five organisers of Russian cells in the course of special operations in Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Poltava and Kharkiv oblasts.

All the detainees are local residents aged between 20 and 32. Some are students, others work in businesses or are unemployed. They acted under the coordination of a representative from the Russian Federation known as the "trade union handler".

During searches, the SSU seized wholesale batches of pro-Russian visuals and communist literature, and computers and mobile phones containing evidence of the crimes.

The SSU investigators have served the five detainees with notices of suspicion under Articles 28.2 and 114-1.1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations during a special period, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy).

Three of the suspects are in custody. Two others have been placed under 24-hour house arrest and tagged with electronic monitoring devices.

The special operation was conducted under the supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

The Prosecutor General's Office reported that an expert examination has confirmed that the videos and flyers distributed by the organisation contained attributes of destructive psychological influence aimed at undermining the mobilisation campaign and obstructing the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In the course of 19 searches in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa, law enforcement officers seized propaganda materials, equipment, communist literature and other symbols.

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