# Russia: journalist Maria Ponomarenko is sentenced to six years for reporting on a Mariupol strike

Published 2026-09-23. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The source reviewed does not report the outcome of any appeal Ponomarenko may have filed.

A Russian court sentenced journalist Maria Ponomarenko to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalism under a law criminalizing "false information" about the military, after she published a Telegram post about an airstrike on a Mariupol theater that Russia denies carrying out.[1][2][3]

- Country: [Russia](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/ru) (RSF 2026 rank: 172nd of 180)
- Where: Russia
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Insult and defamation laws
- Stage: Eliminate (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/insult_and_defamation_laws#stage-eliminate)
- Ladder note: A journalist received a six-year sentence and a five-year professional ban under a wartime false-information law for one social media post, not a fine or license action.
- Head of government at the time: [Vladimir Putin](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/vladimir-putin)
- Issue of the day: Ponomarenko's post concerned an airstrike that hit a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, in March 2022, a strike Russian authorities have denied responsibility for.
- Outcome: Sustained, February 15, 2023. Ponomarenko's six-year sentence and five-year journalism ban stood as of the source reviewed.
- Era: The 2020s

## What happened

On February 15, 2023, a Russian court sentenced Maria Ponomarenko, a correspondent for the independent news website RusNews, to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalistic activity, under Russia's law criminalizing the spread of what it calls false information about the armed forces. The charge stemmed from a post Ponomarenko published on a Telegram news channel about an alleged Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, in March 2022, a strike Russian authorities deny having carried out. Ponomarenko had been detained since April 2022. Prosecutors had requested a nine-year sentence before the court imposed six years instead. In her final statement to the court, Ponomarenko said she might have asked for leniency had she committed a real crime, but said she had not.[1][2][3]

Ponomarenko was sentenced to six years in prison; the source reviewed does not report a release.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Ponomarenko was charged under Russia's law criminalizing the spread of "false information" about the armed forces, over her post about the Mariupol theater strike.[1][2][3]

## What changed for reporting

A journalist received a six-year prison sentence and a five-year professional ban for a single social media post about a wartime strike that contradicted the government's account of events.[1][2][3]

## Timeline

- 2023-02-15: Russia: journalist Maria Ponomarenko is sentenced to six years for reporting on a Mariupol strike

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Vladimir Putin](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/vladimir-putin) | other | President of Russia |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [RusNews](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/rusnews) | outlet | affected |
| [Maria Ponomarenko](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/maria-ponomarenko) | journalist, RusNews | affected |

## Sources

1. Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison. https://cpj.org/2023/02/russian-journalist-maria-ponomarenko-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15).
2. Russian journalist gets six years for accusing Russia of Ukraine theatre bombing. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russian-journalist-gets-six-years-accusing-russia-ukraine-theatre-bombing-2023-02-15/ (Reuters, 2023-02-15).

## Claims cited

[1] The court sentenced Ponomarenko to six years in prison and a five-year ban on journalistic activity. Quote: "Six years in prison plus a five-year ban on journalistic activities" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15. Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison. https://cpj.org/2023/02/russian-journalist-maria-ponomarenko-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/609, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] The charge stemmed from Ponomarenko's Telegram post about an alleged Russian airstrike on a Mariupol theater, which Russia denies. Quote: "Ponomarenko published information in a Telegram news channel about an alleged Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol, Ukraine, which Russian authorities deny responsibility for." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15. Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison. https://cpj.org/2023/02/russian-journalist-maria-ponomarenko-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/610, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Ponomarenko told the court she would have asked for leniency only if she had committed a real crime. Quote: "she might have asked for leniency if she had committed a real crime, but said she had not" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-02-15. Russian journalist Maria Ponomarenko sentenced to 6 years in prison. https://cpj.org/2023/02/russian-journalist-maria-ponomarenko-sentenced-to-6-years-in-prison/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/611, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-russia-ponomarenko-fake-news-sentence. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.