Poland arrests and hands over to Kyiv a Ukrainian pro-Russian propagandist

A “political expert” close to Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of Putin who is accused of treason in Ukraine, has been detained in Poland.

At the request of the Security Service of Ukraine, Poland handed over to Ukraine a Russian agent of influence, Kirill Molchanov, who worked in Russia’s interests by running propaganda campaigns.

Ukrainian authorities have accused Molchanov, known for his participation in Russian propaganda channels, of justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine, local media reported.

“Poland first detained him, and now he is in one of Kyiv’s pre-trial detention centers. The defendant in the case is a ‘political expert’ from the media pool of Viktor Medvedchuk, a suspect in high treason,” the SSU said.

The case file reveals that the offender simultaneously recruited and worked for two special services of Russia: FSB and Russian foreign intelligence. “On the instructions of the invaders, he was engaged in discrediting Ukraine on the international stage and worked to undermine the internal situation in the partner countries of our state,” the statement said.

As deputy director of the so-called “Ukrainian Institute for Analysis,” Molchanov was involved in propaganda projects and called for pro-Russian actions in Europe.

After the outbreak of full-scale war in Russia, Kirill Molchanov, a “political expert” on the TV channels of pro-Kremlin oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, fled to Russia. There, he became one of the key ideologues of media projects, including Druha Ukraina and Voice of Europe, against which the EU imposed sanctions, leading to the closure of this online outlet.

In 2023, Molchanov appeared 35 times on the programs of Vladimir Solovyov, a top propagandist of the Putin regime, where he justified Russian military aggression and spread fakes about the situation in Ukraine.

Interestingly, during his appearances on Russian propagandists and bloggers, Molchanov was credited as “Director of the Institute for the Study of the Consequences of the War in Ukraine.”

While in Europe, Molchanov organized pro-Russian rallies and called for not supporting Ukraine and preparing armed attacks in the country. In his Telegram channel, Kirill Molchanov reposted chatbots from Russian special services that collect intelligence on the Ukrainian military. Molchanov called for sharing the locations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Based on these facts, Kirill Molchanov was charged with justifying and denying Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine. This case is currently under investigation.

Molchanov, a political commentator, served as the deputy director of the Ukrainian Institute for Policy Analysis and Management, a company that handles public relations for government officials. Speaking on the pro-Russian oligarch Medvedchuk’s TV channels, Molchanov criticized his party’s opponents, pro-Western initiatives, and the Ukrainian Local Orthodox Church.

Molchanov is currently being held in a Kyiv pre-trial detention center.