FAKE: The SSU detains Tarot Readers, fortune-tellers, and psychics predicting Russian military success — Really_UA

Information is being spread online that the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) is detaining fortune-tellers and psychics who predict Ukraine’s defeat and President Zelenskyi’s illness. The video report claims that eight blogger-Tarot readers have already been detained for fortune-telling that predicts Russian military success. They are allegedly accused of tax evasion and discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

However, this is fake. There is no news channel named Really_UA. There is no media information about the detention of Tarot readers. The charges supposedly brought against the tarot readers appear implausible.

First and foremost, there is no news channel named Really_UA, as cited by the creators of the fake report. The “report” claims that the SSU detained eight popular Tarot readers who were running esoteric blogs on Instagram. However, there is no news of such detentions in the media or on the SSU’s official pages.

The video report is a montage of unrelated footage that can easily be found online. For example, the first image from the video was used by media outlets as early as 2018.

The report does not contain any video clips of the detained Tarot readers’ predictions. The video only includes a frame supposedly depicting one of the detentions. However, the propagandists used a photo from an entirely different detention that occurred in April 2023. At that time, in Vinnytsia region, Tetiana Pushchykina, the daughter of collaborator Yurii Turulov, who served as the so-called “head of the administration” of the Chornobaivka community, was detained. After the full-scale invasion, Pushchykina immediately supported the occupation authorities in Chornobaivka, becoming the head of one of the departments of the occupation administration and implementing Russian educational standards. In this role, the collaborator threatened local teachers who refused to cooperate with the enemy.

Several inaccuracies in the fake video suggest that it could have been created by Russian propagandists. For example, Ukrainian media would unlikely refer to the Russo-Ukrainian war as a “military conflict between Russia and Ukraine”.

The report states that the detainees are accused of tax evasion and discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Meanwhile, the post suggests that the detainees are suspected of treason. However, “fortune-telling about the future of the war” does not fit the classification of state treason.

If blogger-Tarot readers receive payments for their services, they indeed have to pay taxes. For example, they can register as individual entrepreneurs under the type of economic activity 96.09 (Provision of Other Individual Services), which includes astrological and spiritual activities. However, a person will not be detained for a lack of official registration and non-payment of taxes. This violation is punishable by fines. Criminal liability is only provided for intentional tax evasion in significant amounts.

Discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a broad concept. The Criminal Code of Ukraine does not explicitly use this term. A case of discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine against a person can be opened under, for instance, parts 1 and 2 of Article 435-1 (insulting the honor and dignity of a serviceman, threatening a serviceman) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and part 1 of Article 114-1 (obstructing the lawful activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations during a special period). However, tarot card readings, even apocalyptic ones, do not constitute an insult or threat to a serviceman, nor do they obstruct the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Propagandists are once again attempting to discredit Ukrainian military personnel and law enforcement. Recently, we debunked a fake that the banks of the Tysa River began to be mined and warning signs were put up to prevent Ukrainians from fleeing abroad.