Kseniia Luchenko
Kseniia Luchenko, born 1979, Moscow. Charges: Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code (Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government…); “Kseniia Luchenko's case of military "fake news"”. Sentence (March 24, 2026): 8 years' imprisonment in absentia. Status: not in Russia.
In brief
Moscow · Moscow · Journalists · Anti-war cases, Cases against "foreign agents"
Sentence
8 years
imprisonment in absentia
No information about an appeal ruling.
Charges
- Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code — Dissemination of false information about the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, government agencies, or mercenaries (based on political, ideological, racial, national or religious hatred or enmity, or on grounds of hatred or enmity in relation to any social group)
Full wording of the charges
According to the investigation, Luchenko published posts on the website of an undesirable organisation and on one of the messaging apps, which, according to the analysis, contained deliberately false information about the actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the territory of another state. The information was accessible to an unlimited number of people. This concerns a post on her Telegram channel "Orthodoxy and Zombies", in which she wrote about a missile strike on the children’s hospital ‘Okhmatdyt’ in Kyiv in July 2024, and the republication of that post on the "Echo of Moscow" website.
Latest event
March 24, 2026 — first-instance verdict
The court delivered a guilty verdict: 8 years.
Timeline
· First-instance verdict
guilty verdict · 8 years
· Preventive measure: arrest in absentia
· Added to the Rosfinmonitoring list of “terrorists and extremists”
· Persecution begins
Kseniia Luchenko's case of military "fake news"
· Added to the register of “foreign agents”
Criminal case
Kseniia Luchenko's case of military "fake news"
- Case number
- 01-0152/2026
Thematic group: Anti-war case
Details and sources
Full summary
A journalist specialising in the Russian Orthodox Church, its influence on Russian politics and society, and church-state relations. She runs the Telegram channel "Orthodoxy and Zombies", which had 27 thousand subscribers at the time the case was opened.
On 29 September 2025, the Investigative Committee announced that a case had been opened against her over military "fake news" due to a post on her Telegram channel "Orthodoxy and Zombies", in which she wrote about a missile strike on the children’s hospital "Okhmatdyt" in Kyiv in July 2024, and the republication of that post on the Echo website.
In May 2025, the Ministry of Justice included the journalist on the list of "foreign agents".
On 24 March 2026, in the case concerning "fake news", Luchenko was sentenced in absentia to eight years’ imprisonment.
All fields of the record
- Citizenship
- Russia
- Preventive measures
- arrest in absentia
Other people prosecuted under Article 207.3 part 2 item d, Russian Criminal Code
Under the same article, not necessarily in the same case.