Ukrainian military officer tried to discredit through fake Russian intelligence services (Video, Photo)

Last Friday, a material dedicated to Serhiy Sotnichenko appeared in the Ukrainian media space, which was entirely based on the “investigation” of the “Stopkor” publication. On the air of the Kyiv-24 TV channel, the presenters referred exclusively to the published material, without any of their own comments or assessments.

However, the TV channel later apologized to the viewers, since after an internal check it became obvious that the information from “Stopkor” turned out to be unreliable.

Moreover, there is every reason to believe that the material was commissioned and was aimed at discrediting Serhiy Sotnichenko. According to reliable information, he is a military serviceman and is currently participating in the fight against Russian aggression. Despite this, the unscrupulous “investigators” tried to refute this information, citing unconfirmed sources.

Regarding the accusations of illegal actions, the publication attributes to Sotnichenko alleged manipulation of cryptocurrencies, but does not provide any evidence. This only reinforces the impression of the artificiality and bias of this material.

The situation surrounding the wife of a serviceman, Emma Shekoyan, deserves special attention. She was accused of being a “Russian” who had “taken root” in Kyiv. In fact, the woman is the head of a charitable foundation that has been providing assistance to Ukrainians since the first days of the full-scale invasion. According to official data, more than 50 thousand people have received support thanks to her activities. The editorial office has relevant documents, and the foundation’s activities are transparent and publicly covered.

The Kyiv-24 TV channel admitted its mistake in spreading slander, as it violated basic journalistic principles — in particular, the obligation to check sources of information. This is a bitter but instructive lesson for the entire Ukrainian media space.

We call on journalists to be attentive and conscious, not to become a tool in the hands of the enemy, especially when it comes to information and psychological operations (IPSO) organized by enemy special services. The pursuit of hype and easy money does not justify the spread of lies that can destroy the reputation of Ukrainian journalists and harm our common cause - the fight for independence.