Russian occupiers accuse administrators of Melitopol telegram channels of terrorism

Russian propagandists broadcast a new batch of propaganda materials in which they report on the detention of Ukrainian terrorists by the occupation special services and representatives of the media hostile to the invaders, in particular, the administrators of the telegram channels RIA-Melitopol and Melitopol Is Ukraine.

Information about the capture of administrator Heorhii Levchenko, which took place on August 20, suddenly appeared. For more than two months, nothing was known about his fate, as well as the fate of other detained Melitopol citizens. And so, the russian propagandists published a whole adventure story about how the FSB officers in balaclavas with machine guns climbed over fences, broke down doors, grabbed people, and took them out of the house in handcuffs.

A criminal case has been opened against the illegally captured citizens of Melitopol under the article on public calls for terrorist attacks. The security forces also plan to bring the detainees to “responsibility” under the articles of treason and espionage. They face 12 to 20 years in prison.

“The purpose of these TV stories is to intimidate the civilian population,” declares the Ukrainian Internet resource RIA-Melitopol/RIA-South. “To show, they say, this is what happens to those who do not love russia. Usually, such propaganda tricks are taken out of the sleeve by the russian invaders when there is no success at the front. Then the main trick is launched – the terror of the local population.”

The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) is in full solidarity with the Ukrainian Melitopol journalists. The Union demands the immediate release from custody of illegally captured colleagues and an end to the persecution of journalists and other Ukrainian citizens who are accused of “terrorism” and other absurd “crimes” on trumped-up pretexts.

According to Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov, since February 24, 2022, a total of 1,000 people have been illegally captured in the city.

“About 500 citizens of Melitopol are in captivity today. And these are only official figures,” says the mayor. “The real number is known to no one, as the relatives of some missing people were intimidated to such an extent that they do not even provide information to the Ukrainian special services and the ombudsman. However, the resistance of Melitopol lives on, and the elimination of the enemy continues.”

As a result of the detention of the administrators of the telegram channels RIA-Melitopol and Melitopol Is Ukraine, the occupiers managed to establish control over these channels. But the editors created a new channel and continue to work. The Ukrainian Telegram channel RIA-Melitopol/RIA-South can be found at the link: @riamelitopolua.

As earlier reported, on May 6, the occupiers captured the namesake of Heorhii Levchenko in Melitopol – Iryna Levchenko and her husband Oleksandr.

NUJU Information Service