Former press secretary of Volodymyr Zelensky — Yulia Mendel — was charged in absentia with treason.
This was reported by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Law enforcement officers found that she was engaged in informational and subversive activities against Ukraine. In addition to treason, she was suspected of justifying Russian aggression.
The investigation believes that the former spokeswoman for Volodymyr Zelensky, in her statements and posts on social networks, discredits Ukraine and justifies the Russian Federationʼs full-scale war. Since she is abroad, law enforcement officers are taking measures to bring her to justice.
Mendel became Zelenskyʼs press secretary shortly after he took office on June 3, 2019. On April 30, 2021, it was reported that she was stepping down from her position as presidential spokeswoman, a position she had held for nearly two years. She later published two books in which she spoke positively about the president.
However, in 2026, Mendel gave an interview to Tucker Carlson, where she accused Zelensky of using cocaine. At the time, she stated that after the statements she made, it was “dangerous” for her to return home.
The president rejected her statement and said that he had never used drugs. On September 13, Zelensky imposed NSDC sanctions against Mendel.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X