SBU says Russia intensifies disinformation campaign to discredit Ukrainian agencies
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) says Russia has intensified information and psychological operations aimed at discrediting the agency. The SBU identified a false claim that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) ordered the killing of a Ukrainian Navy officer on the SBU's instructions, saying NABU published no such statement and that such cases are not within NABU's jurisdiction.
Key points
- Russian propaganda is spreading hundreds of false messages to erode public trust and create an appearance of conflict between Ukrainian security and anti-corruption bodies.
- The SBU says Russian propaganda resources are using recent NABU investigations to make false claims appear credible.
- A false claim circulated via Russian-controlled media, citing the propaganda outlet RIA Novosti, that NABU announced an ordered killing of a Navy officer on the SBU's instructions.
- The SBU says NABU published no statements about the killing and that investigating the murders of Navy officers does not fall under NABU's jurisdiction.
- A Ukrainian Navy officer was killed in September 2026.
- The SBU identified the suspect as a pensioner from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast recruited by Russian intelligence; he was detained shortly after the killing.
- The investigation into the officer's killing is ongoing as authorities establish the circumstances of the crime.
Why it matters
The campaign targets public trust in Ukraine's security and anti-corruption institutions. By combining a genuine killing, real NABU investigations and fabricated claims about an SBU order, Russian propaganda creates a misleading impression that Ukrainian security agencies and anti-corruption bodies are in conflict.
What happened
The SBU said Russia has intensified information and psychological operations targeting the agency. Under SBU's account, Russian propaganda resources are using recent NABU investigations to spread hundreds of false messages intended to sow discord, undermine trust in state institutions and suggest a confrontation between the SBU and Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies.
One such false claim said NABU had announced an ordered killing of a Ukrainian Navy officer on the SBU's instructions. The story circulated in media controlled by Russian intelligence, with references to the propaganda outlet RIA Novosti. The SBU rejected the claim, stating that NABU published no statements about the killing and that investigating such cases is not part of NABU's jurisdiction.
The officer's killing itself was real: it occurred in September 2026. The SBU said the perpetrator was a pensioner from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast recruited by Russian intelligence. He was detained shortly after the crime, and the investigation remains ongoing.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting centers on the SBU's warning about intensified Russian information and psychological operations. The coverage emphasizes the use of genuine recent NABU investigations to lend credibility to fabricated claims, the circulation of hundreds of false messages, and the attempt to present Ukraine's security and anti-corruption institutions as being in conflict. It also provides details of the real case: the September 2026 killing, the suspect recruited by Russian intelligence, his detention and the ongoing investigation, alongside a public warning not to rely on Russian propaganda sources.
Background
A Ukrainian Navy officer was killed in September 2026. The SBU identified the perpetrator as a pensioner from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast whom Russian intelligence had recruited. He was detained shortly after the killing, and the investigation is continuing.