A criminal case under the article “sabotage” initiated against the journalists of ZIK TV channel

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) initiated criminal proceedings under the article “preparations for sabotage” accusing journalists of the ZIK TV channel of trying to film a regime facility in Rivne region.

As reported by press-center of the SBU on Tuesday.

According to the press-center, people who identified themselves as journalists of the “Paths of War” project of the ZIK TV channel were filming from the quadcopter in a controlled area near the military facility. A local resident noticed this and reported to the military. A counter-sabotage military unit arrived to the scene and detained the film crew.

The journalists stated that they were carrying out an editorial task of filming the forest and the local tourist facility “Love Tunnel”.

Based on the results of the incident site inspection, the SBU has filed the information about a criminal violation of preparing to commit a sabotage under Part 1 Article 14 and Article 113 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine to the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations. Currently, an “urgent investigative actions” are being conducted on this matter.

The SBU reported that the witness, who reported to the military about the filming, received encouragement from the SBU leadership.

The Security Service of Ukraine explained that in connection with the activation of sabotage activity of Russian secret services in the country the security measures near military facilities were reinforced.

As reported by Daryna Shevchenko, Head of the Department of Journalistic Investigations of the ZIK TV channel, to the Detector Media publication, the film ctew of the “Paths of War” project, which was detained in Rivne region, is returning to Kyiv.

As a reminder, on April 24, military personnel detained journalists of the ZIK TV channel near the military facility in the town of Orzhiv in the Rivne region and accused them of trying to film a “particularly important strategic object” using the quadcopter.

At the same time, the ZIK website notes that the crew of the military investigation programme of the TV channel and its author and leader Andriy Stelmah were on an official trip with an editorial assignment near the village of Orzhiv. The TV channel believes that journalists were detained on a false pretext.