Nikolay Lenitsky
Nikolay Lenitsky, born 1977, Occupied territory of Khersonska oblast. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the RF Armed Forces, government agencies or mercenaries…); “Nikolai Lenitsky's case of wartime "fake news"”. Sentence (October 23, 2025): 6 years 10 months’ imprisonment in a general-regime colony, with a 2-year 10-month ban on administering websites… Status: imprisoned; deprived of liberty since August 6, 2025. Recognition: Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners — recognised as a political prisoner, October 31, 2025.
In brief
Sentence
6 years 10 months
imprisonment in a general-regime colony, with a 2-year 10-month ban on administering websites, producing materials, and disseminating information on the Internet
First instance, August 10, 2025: 7 years
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the RF Armed Forces, government agencies or mercenaries (using official position, by a group of people, falsifying evidence, for selfish reasons or motivated by hatred)
Full wording of the charges
According to the Federal Security Service (FSB), on his personal page in one of the social networks, the defendant posted a fake video containing a recording of "an allegedly intercepted by the Security Service of Ukraine conversation between two individuals, a woman and a man, who is allegedly a serviceman of the Russian Armed Forces, conducting a dialogue about" the Russian Armed Forces, to discredit Ukraine, conducted a bomb attack on a village in the Bryansk region, which allegedly resulted in a large number of casualties among the local population. The FSB also pointed out that Lenitsky held pro-Ukrainian views and urged residents to ignore Russian laws.
Latest event
October 31, 2025 — recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
Recognition by rights defenders
- Recognised as a political prisoner — Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners, October 31, 2025
Timeline
· Recognised as a political prisoner
Memorial: Support for Political Prisoners
· Appeal ruling
sentence changed · 6 years 10 months
· Imprisonment begins
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 7 years
· Preventive measure: pre-trial detention
· Persecution begins
Nikolai Lenitsky's case of wartime "fake news"
· Preventive measure: travel ban (written undertaking)
Criminal case
Nikolai Lenitsky's case of wartime "fake news"
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Details and sources
Full summary
A resident of the village of Velyka Lepetyha in the Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region of Ukraine. In August 2025, the Federal Security Service reported that he was sentenced to seven years in a general-regime penal colony in the case of spreading "fake news" about the Russian army.
The reason for the prosecution was a video posted on his personal page on one of the social networks, which claimed that the Russian military had bombed a village in the Bryansk region to discredit Ukraine, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. Law enforcement authorities insist that this information is false.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia, Ukraine
Other people prosecuted under Article 207.3 part 2, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.