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Yulia Mendel, Zelenskyy’s Former Press Secretary, Suspected of High Treason Over Alleged Anti-Ukraine Activities
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The Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General’s Office have officially served a notice of suspicion in absentia to Yulia Mendel, who is carrying out information and subversive activities against Ukraine.
The notice of suspicion cites Part 2 of Article 111 (state treason committed under martial law) and Parts 2 and 3 of Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, or denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as glorification of its participants) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
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Yulia Mendel is a Ukrainian journalist and public figure who served as the press secretary to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from June 2019 to July 2021. Prior to her role in the President's Office, she worked with international media outlets, including The New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Following her departure from government service, she worked as a columnist, published the book The Each of Us Is President, and engaged in media and analytical work.
The SBU said its investigation found that Mendel had used public statements and social media posts to discredit Ukraine internationally and justify Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the agency, her online activity also included statements supporting the Kremlin regime.
Because the suspect is currently located outside Ukraine, law enforcement agencies are carrying out ongoing comprehensive measures to bring her to justice.
The investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the Security Service of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Under Part 1 of Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court's verdict of guilty.
According to documents obtained by Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service on May 20, Russia’s Presidential Administration instructed intelligence agencies, the Foreign Ministry, and state media to launch a coordinated disinformation campaign against Ukraine.
The operation aimed to undermine Ukrainian mobilization efforts, discredit President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his family, and revive media attention around investigations into officials and interviews with former presidential figures. To achieve this, Moscow planned to use fabricated documents, staged media props, and more than 15 proxy outlets across the Western information space to amplify its narratives.
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