The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and prosecutors notified Iuliia Mendel, former press secretary to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of high-treason suspicion in absentia on Nov. 3 in a case tied to her public remarks.
The SBU said Mendel is outside Ukraine. The agencies allege her statements and social media posts undermined Ukraine’s standing abroad and justified Russia’s full-scale war. The notice cites Part 2 of Article 111 and Parts 2 and 3 of Article 436-2 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. The provisions cover treason under martial law and offenses involving justification or legitimization of Russian aggression, denial of it, and glorification of its participants.
The joint announcement did not identify the specific remarks at issue. The SBU assigned the investigation to its Main Investigative Directorate; the Office of the Prosecutor General provides procedural oversight, the agencies said.
Mendel wrote on X that the case concerns her public comments in Western media and on social media about corruption, freedom of speech and political persecution. She denied cooperating with Russia and described the matter as one of free expression.
Ukrainska Pravda reported that prosecutors view Mendel’s public profile and former government communications role as relevant to their theory that the alleged narratives could weaken international support for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy appointed Mendel press secretary in 2019. The Ukrainian presidency said she was among 10 people sanctioned in September 2026 in a decision targeting people it accused of spreading disinformation and Russian propaganda and supporting Russia’s policy toward Ukraine.
The SBU’s statement cites Ukraine’s constitutional presumption of innocence and says guilt must be established by a court conviction.
