Ukrainian Security Service detains key Kremlin propagandist in Moldova
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in conjunction with international partners and the State Border Guard Service, has detained Dmitry Chistilin, a Ukrainian citizen and Kremlin ideologist, in Moldova. Since 2016, Chistilin has been publishing a series of "analytical materials" justifying Russia's invasion of Ukraine and advocating for the "integration" of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories into the Russian Federation.
SBU reported that Chistilin was apprehended during a special operation carried out in cooperation with Moldovan law enforcement, as he attempted to return to Moscow from one of the Russia-organized "forums" in Europe. At these events, he aimed to spread Kremlin narratives to weaken Western support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Security Service indicated that Chistilin actively assisted Russian intelligence services and was responsible for numerous publications targeting Ukraine with informational subversion.
Recently, he served as an aide to Sergey Glazyev, a former advisor to Vladimir Putin and a key figure in the "moderation" of the Crimea annexation and operations in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Glazyev is also the architect of the "Information Warfare Strategy," which justified Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Chistilin was also reportedly involved in advancing Kremlin interests beyond Russia’s borders and orchestrating interference in electoral processes in Eastern and Central European countries in favor of the Kremlin.
Now under custody in Ukraine, Chistilin faces charges under two sections of the Ukrainian Criminal Code:
- Part 2, Article 111 (treason committed under martial law);
- Part 3, Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine, glorifying its participants).
He is facing a potential life sentence with confiscation of property. Authorities are deliberating on the pre-trial detention measure while documenting evidence of his assistance to Russian military intelligence, including facilitating mechanisms to bypass sanctions.