Treason Case: The SBU Has Opened Proceedings Against Political Strategist Vladimir Petrov
20 January 20:48
The Security Service of Ukraine has opened a criminal case against political strategist, blogger, and TV host Volodymyr Petrov under the article on high treason. This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, citing data from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to Zheleznyak, the case was registered on January 14, 2026, under Part 1 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This article provides for liability for treason committed, in particular, under martial law.
What is Petrov suspected of?
According to an excerpt from the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations published by the deputy, investigators believe that Petrov, using his own media resources—the projects “Iceland,” “School of Corruption,” and “Lumpen Show”—assisted the Russian Federation in conducting subversive activities against Ukraine.
The document notes that in his public statements, Petrov:
- denied the fact of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by regular Russian troops;
- referred to the war as a “civil war”;
- presented the “DPR” and “LPR” groups as supposedly state entities with their own governing bodies;
- promoted the idea of abandoning Ukrainian state symbols “for the sake of reconciliation”;
- exerted informational and psychological influence aimed at disrupting mobilization into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The investigation classifies these actions as having caused harm to the state’s sovereignty, defense capability, and information security.
Reservations and employment at a state institution
Vladimir Petrov’s name previously appeared in a public scandal surrounding possible exemptions from mobilization at the state institution “National Military Memorial Cemetery.” Media reports indicated that Petrov is an employee of this institution and holds an exemption from mobilization until January 2026.
On January 20, the National Military Memorial Cemetery announced that Petrov had resigned from his position as a senior specialist in communications and information technology. At the same time, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs launched an internal investigation into possible abuses regarding exemptions at this institution, and the Verkhovna Rada summoned the Minister of Veterans Affairs to report on this matter.
At this time, the SBU has not officially commented on the progress of the investigation.
At the same time, in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court verdict.
