On 25 February 2025, police in Moscow detained journalist and film critic Yekaterina Barabash, with investigators later charging her of allegedly disseminating “fake news” on the Russian army. Barabash was additionally accused of committing the offence due to “political enmity”, an aggravating circumstance which increases potential prison terms under article 207.3 of the Russian criminal code to up to 10 years in prison.

According to prosecutors in the case, Barabash pleaded guilty. Her son Yuri, who lives in Kyiv, was the first to report on her detention.

As a film critic, Barabash had recently been working with the independent Russian news outlet Republic. The journalist is originally from Kharkiv in Ukraine.

According to reports on social media by friends and family members of Barabash, the journalist decided to stay in Russia following the start of the full-scale invasion and the enforcement of drastic wartime censorship laws in order to take care of her elderly parents. Barabash however continued to criticize Russia’s war against Ukraine.

UPDATE: On 26 February 2025, Russian independent media reported that Yekaterina Barabash had been placed under house arrest until April 25.