Ukraine names Iuliia Mendel, Zelensky’s former press secretary, as a treason suspect

Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office has accused Iuliia Mendel, who served as press secretary to President Volodymyr Zelensky from 2019 to 2021, of treason and aiding Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine. Prosecutors allege that Mendel used her position and influence to disseminate pro-Russian narratives and undermine Ukraine's reputation.

Key evidence includes her public social media posts and interviews, such as the one with Tucker Carlson in May 2026 where she harshly criticized Zelensky. Russian propaganda extensively utilized her statements, according to the Prosecutor General's Office. Mendel's tenure as Zelensky's press secretary spanned the early phase of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.