Alexey Golobutsky explains why Ukraine made the right decision to impose sanctions on propagandist Kryukova.

I came across a post from a friend regarding the pro-Kremlin propagandist Svetlana Kryukova (a pro-Russian propagandist from Ukraine, who served as the first deputy to Igor Guzhva, the editor-in-chief of Strana.ua, from 2016 until October 2022; Guzhva fled to Austria in 2018 after facing accusations since 2013; during the two years of the war with Russia, until 2015, she led the "Economics" section of the magazine "Vesti.Reporter"; since 2016, she has been co-hosting a program on Medvedchuk's NewsONE with Murayev; on January 19, 2025, she was stripped of state awards from Ukraine and other honors, added to the sanctions list, and is subject to financial restrictions).

She claims to be beautiful, talented, and smart, and oh, what an artist!... Well, I can't assess her paintings as I'm not an art critic. Although she herself admits that they are kitsch.

As for the thesis that the sanctions against Kryukova were supposedly imposed "incorrectly," she is actually quite pro-Ukrainian!... This raises the question of responsibility. Professional responsibility, if you will. Because this is a matter of national security and wartime, not a soul-saving retreat to repent – and be forgiven.

This is precisely where the horror lies: the Russians have indeed not skimped on budgets to hire at least hundreds of workers. Most of the hired hands were just an ordinary, talentless mass of performers. They couldn't think, they couldn't write – and thus caused minimal harm, as they provided almost zero benefit to the enemy. But Kryukova is indeed talented.

Kryukova knows how to write, she can think, she can make an impression, she can speak persuasively, and she knows how to appeal to emotions and provoke the desired reactions… And that’s all the worse for Ukraine.

Kryukova is part of the group (though not in the front lines) that brought war to Ukraine, without a doubt. She bears personal responsibility for the war of 2014 and for the fact that that war escalated into the Great War on February 24, 2022.

And "husband at the front" (as some say) and "children in Ukrainian schools" do not lessen the guilt. Because the deed is already done.

Years of diligent, talented, and effective work at "Strana.ua" and in the "Vesti" projects yielded the results desired by the Kremlin. After all, Strana.ua has always been an openly anti-Ukrainian publication and has always closely collaborated with the enemy's media.

And when, nearly three years into the Great War, provoked in part by her talented work for the enemy, advocates appear… It’s disheartening. I wish defenders understood the importance of the consequences of such work. Otherwise, priorities become muddled. A person has worked directly for Russia for at least the last ten years – and suddenly they are placed on the same level as patriots who have always held a pro-Ukrainian stance (and thus faced problems).

And worst of all. I see this as yet another manifestation of a certain trend towards a return to everything that existed at best before February 2022, at worst – before 2014. That is, to the public format of Yanukovych's times. And this is inevitable. After all, the conditionally pro-Russian electorate hasn’t gone anywhere. Rough estimates suggest that up to 20% of voters are ready to support such political projects (meaning, Dubinsky, Buzhansky, and Boyko could legally receive mandates in the next convocation of the Verkhovna Rada due to the voluntary choice of Ukrainian citizens).

Well, everyone is already orienting themselves towards the expected conditions of temporary peace agreements with Putin: to restore rights to the Russian language and return all rights and property to the Russian Orthodox Church, pro-Russian parties, and organizations, allowing them to run for office, lifting sanctions… And this would be such a "light" version of demands – if Ukraine cannot be forced into capitulation. Then there will be an attempt to peacefully seize power in Ukraine – through funding projects like those implemented for many years by Guzhva, Kryukova, Murayev, Panchenko, Golovanov, and others. So for Kryukova, it’s just a matter of waiting out her maternity leave before she can return to her usual work.

As for the outrage over the sanctions… Here, Kryukova and I are somewhat colleagues – I’ve also been on a sanctions list since 2018. Although, I’m on the Kremlin's sanctions list.