SBU calls «an information saboteur» assistant of Medvedchuk's represantative Nevinchanyi from Mykolaiv

The Security Service of Ukraine has published a list of so-called «information saboteurs» of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Among them are Natalia Khoroshevska, former head of the youth organisation «of the Opposition Platform - For Life» in Mykolaiv and the region, and an assistant to Viktor Medvedchuk's local ally, former Mykolaiv City Council member Maksym Nevinchanyi.

According to the SBU, these individuals, under Medvedchuk's leadership, conducted media attacks against Ukraine, spread pro-Russian content, justified Russian aggression and tried to undermine the situation in partner countries. Materials for this purpose were prepared and published on controlled Telegram channels, on YouTube and through the Kremlin's project «Voice of Europe», which was sanctioned by the EU in 2024.

» The key witness in the case was Kirill Molchanov, a political expert «detained in Poland, who, according to the investigation, worked for the FSB and Russian foreign intelligence. He spoke about his direct connection with the leadership of the FSB's fifth service, as well as his participation in street actions in the EU aimed at curtailing international support for Ukraine.

Investigators found that Medvedchuk had agreed with Putin to create the organisation «Druhaia Ukraina», after which the project was coordinated by the FSB. Most of its members travelled to Russia at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, where they continued their activities.

«According to the case file, Viktor Medvedchuk personally supervised these activities. In particular, he agreed on the creation of the organisation «Druha Ukraina» directly with Putin, after which the Kremlin leader instructed the FSB to coordinate the project.» Then Medvedchuk personally formed «the staff of the pro-Kremlin association, which included top management and propagandists of the former MP's» sanctioned TV channels," the statement said.

The case involves 12 defendants. In particular: Denis Zharkikh, Artem Marchevsky, Roman Kovalenko, Ruslan Kalynchuk, Yakov Taksyur, Yuri Dudkin, Ruslan Kotsaba, Bogdan Giganov, Oleg Yasinsky, Alexander Lazarev and Natalia Khoroshevskaya.

All of them were notified of suspicion in absentia under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

• ч. 3 of Article 109 (public calls for the violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or the seizure of state power, as well as the distribution of materials calling for such actions committed as part of an organised criminal group);
• ч. 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law);
• ч. 6 Art. 111-1 (collaboration);
• ч. 3, Art. 161 (violation of equality of citizens based on their race, nationality, region, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds committed as part of an organised criminal group);
• ч. 3 of Art. 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, glorification of its participants committed as part of an organised criminal group).

As a reminder, in 2023, the now ex-deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council, Maksym Nevynchanyi, elected from the banned OPFL, who fled Ukraine with the start of the full-scale invasion, appeared in the Russian media space as a representative of the movement of collaborator Viktor Medvedchuk «Druha Ukraina».

What is known about the scandalous MP Maksym Nevynchanyi?

As you know, in 2020, Maksym Nevynchany was elected as a deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council from the party «Opposition Platform - For Life» under Viktor Medvedchuk's quota. He headed the territorial branch of the NGO «Ukrainian Choice» of the Russian president's godfather and was a deputy of the regional council from «Opposition Bloc» (2015-2020). In 2016, the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated a ban in Ukraine on the activities of the NGO «Ukrainian Choice», initiated by Viktor Medvedchuk, claiming that it was a separatist organisation. Viktor Medvedchuk is the godfather of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In May 2021, Maksym Nevinchanyi defended Viktor Medvedchuk at a session of the Mykolaiv City Council. Maksym Nevinchany stated that the criminal case opened against Viktor Medvedchuk was political. At the time, he expressed the opinion that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was persecuting his opponents.

In March 2021, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted a search at the residence of the head of the NGO «Ukrainian Choice» in Mykolaiv region, MP «of the OPFL», Maksym Nevinchany.

In 2019, the SBU searched Maksym Nevinchany and his assistant Natalia Khoroshevska because they had posted on social media a map of Ukraine depicting Crimea in the colours of the Russian flag and Donbas with the symbols of the illegal formations «DPR» and «LPR».

On 28 February 2022, Maksym Nevinchany was expelled from the «faction of the OPFL» in the Mykolaiv City Council.

In early 2024, the deputies of the Mykolaiv City Council prematurely terminated the powers of MP Maksym Nevinchanyi due to non-payment of alimony. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, he has moved to the aggressor country and started actively criticising the authorities on social media.