--- title: "Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Clarifies Which Social Media Posts Carry Criminal Liability Under Martial Law" description: "Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has clarified which social media posts under martial law are subject to criminal liability of up to 12 years in prison." date: 2026-11-04T12:24:44.872Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/what-not-to-publish-on-social-media-during-war tags: [ukraine, martial-law, social-media, information-security, criminal-code] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine's Ministry of Defense Clarifies Which Social Media Posts Carry Criminal Liability Under Martial Law ![A woman checks geotags and photos of military equipment on a smartphone against an urban backdrop.](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/04/chto-nelzya-publikovat-v-socsetyah-vo-vremya-voyny/chto-nelzya-publikovat-v-socsetyah-vo-vremya-voyny-1.webp) ## Key Points - Under martial law, spreading information about the location and movement of military personnel, equipment, and defense objects is banned; liability is up to 12 years in prison. - Restrictions are based on Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and Order No. 73 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine dated March 3, 2022. - Even indirect details in photos and videos are dangerous: road signs, street names, distinctive buildings, panoramas, and geotags. - The ban applies to social networks, chats, forums, video platforms, and verbal messages; reposts and real-time publications carry high risks. - The SBU and the Ministry of Energy urge people not to publish footage from strike sites to avoid helping fire adjustment and endangering repair crews. During martial law in Ukraine, the dissemination of information regarding the location and movement of military personnel, equipment, and defense objects is strictly prohibited, with such actions carrying criminal liability of up to 12 years in prison. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing an explanation from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The agency systematized which materials and distribution channels fall under these restrictions and reminded citizens of the official sources they should rely on. ### Legal Basis for the Restrictions According to the Ministry of Defense, the primary restrictions are defined by Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and Order No. 73 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine dated March 3, 2022. They apply to information that could help the enemy determine the whereabouts of Ukrainian troops or learn about the actions of the Defense Forces. The agency emphasizes that liability under Article 114-2 can arise simply from the unauthorized dissemination of information if it has not been previously published by authorized state bodies — and proving that the data actually reached the enemy is not required to trigger liability. ### What Details in Photos and Videos Are Dangerous The explanation notes that even indirect details in photos or videos can pose a danger: road signs, street names, distinctive buildings, landscape panoramas, and geotags. Combined, such elements can allow the exact location of military units to be pinpointed. The agency specifically points out the risk of accidental shots that reveal positions or determine the whereabouts of units, even if a photograph seems ordinary at first glance. ### Where Publication Is Forbidden: Not Just Media Outlets As the Ministry of Defense explains, the restrictions apply not only to mass media. The dissemination of sensitive information is prohibited via Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, and other social networks, as well as through private and group chats, forums, video platforms, and even in the form of verbal messages to third parties. Thus, the transmission channel does not matter — both public publication and forwarding in personal correspondence fall under the restriction. ### Real-Time Mode and Reposts According to the agency, publications in real-time pose a particular danger because they can help the enemy quickly determine targets and adjust fire. The Ministry of Defense also warns that reposting information does not become safe simply because it has already appeared online: unofficial messages containing sensitive data do not become legal to copy, forward, or repost. Citizens should look to official announcements from the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense, the SBU, and other authorized state bodies. ### Liability: Sentences and Criminal Code Articles Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code provides for various prison terms depending on the nature of the violation; overall, disseminating prohibited information during martial law carries up to 12 years of imprisonment. If the case involves the disclosure of information constituting a state secret, other articles of the Criminal Code may also apply — specifically, Articles 328 and 422. ### Footage from Strike Sites: SBU and Ministry of Energy Position Recall that earlier, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ministry of Energy also urged citizens not to publish photos and videos from the sites of Russian strikes. The agencies explained that such materials can contain precise object coordinates, information on the scale of damage and restoration progress, and assist the Russian military in adjusting subsequent attacks. The Ministry of Energy emphasized that publishing footage from impact sites can endanger repair crews and complicate the restoration of energy infrastructure. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Что нельзя публиковать в соцсетях во время войны: разъяснение Минобороны](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/shcho-mozhna-publikuvati-sotsmerezhah-pid-1793793592.html) - Primary source: legal basis (Art. 114-2 CC, Order No. 73 dated 03.03.2022), distribution channels, real-time mode, reposts, Art. 328 and 422 CC, position of the SBU and Ministry of Energy. - [Один пост может стоить жизни: какие кадры нельзя публиковать в соцсетях во время войны](https://dnepr.express/ru/post/odin-post-mozhet-stoit-zhizni-kakie-kadry-nelzya-publikovat-v-socsetyah-vo-vremya-vojny) - Context: Ministry of Digital Transformation's reminder on infosec rules, danger of air defense footage and real-time impact sites, accidental footage with positions. - [МВД раскрыло новую тактику мошенников: Что нельзя публиковать в соцсетях](https://news.mail.ru/society/72518080/) - Подтверждено по источнику news.mail.ru - [Выяснилось, что нельзя публиковать в соцсетях](https://svpressa.ru/society/news/537079/) - Подтверждено по источнику svpressa.ru ## FAQ ### What liability is provided for spreading prohibited information during martial law? According to the Ministry of Defense, liability is stipulated by Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and can reach 12 years in prison; if state secrets are disclosed, Articles 328 and 422 of the Criminal Code may also apply. ### Does a publication become safe if it is already on the internet? No. According to the agency, secondary distribution (copying, forwarding, reposting) of unofficial messages with sensitive data does not become legal or safe just because it has surfaced online. ### Which information sources should citizens rely on? The Ministry of Defense recommends relying on official announcements from the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense, the SBU, and other authorized state bodies.