Zelensky's former press secretary Yuliya Mendel is suspected of high treason

Zelenskyy's former press secretary Iuliia Mendel is suspected of high treason

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the Prosecutor General's Office reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's former press secretary Iuliia Mendel is suspected of a crime. According to the SSU press service, Mendel is engaged in information and subversive activities against Ukraine.

In this regard, law enforcement agencies issued a notice of suspicion against her under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine simultaneously: Part 2 of Article 111 (high treason committed under martial law); Parts 2 and 3 of Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, as well as glorification of its participants).

According to the SSU, Mendel discredits Ukraine in the international arena in her public speeches and posts published on her social network pages. She also justifies the Russian regime for the war it launched against Ukraine.

Since Mendel is outside the territory of Ukraine, measures are currently being taken to bring her to justice. Investigative actions are being conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the SSU under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Earlier, Mendel made a number of critical remarks about Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In particular, in May of this year, she gave an interview to Tucker Carlson, in which she put forward a number of claims characteristic of Russian propaganda.

In August 2026, Mendel gave an interview to the French publication Le Journal, in which she called the President of Ukraine allegedly "the person who benefits the most from the war." She also accused Zelenskyy of authoritarianism and turning a blind eye to corruption problems.

In September, the President of Ukraine imposed sanctions against Mendel. The head of state signed a package of personal restrictions approved by the National Security and Defense Council. A total of 10 Russian and Ukrainian citizens who spread false information and propaganda and support Russia's aggression against Ukraine were included in this list. Iuliia Mendel was among them.