Victory for truth: Sadokha wins another battle against ‘Russkyi Mir’ in Portugal

The Ukrainian community in Portugal has scored another victory against Russian disinformation and intimidation efforts. The Court of Appeals in Porto dismissed defamation charges against Pavlo Sadokha, Vice President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) for Southern Europe and President of the Union of Ukrainians in Portugal (UUP).

The lawsuit, filed by Nataliia Khmil, a representative of pro-Russian groups in Portugal, accused Sadokha of defamation for warning Ukrainians not to cooperate with individuals connected to the Russian embassy. 

In its decision, the court ruled that Sadokha’s statements were protected by freedom of expression and carried significant public value amid Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. The judgment noted that his remarks “have no connection to personal facts and do not violate the plaintiff’s honor or dignity.”

Sadokha reacted by saying this was “another informational victory over the ‘Russkyi Mir’ in Portugal.” 

The “Russkyi Mir,” or “Russian World,” is a Kremlin-backed ideology that portrays all Russian-speaking people as part of a single cultural and spiritual space that is led by Moscow. Presented as a unifying cultural concept, it has in reality been used to justify Russian interference, propaganda, and wars of expansion — including the all-out invasion of Ukraine – by claiming to “protect” Russian speakers abroad. 

According to Sadokha, the ruling marks the fifth attempt by Kremlin supporters to launch criminal cases against him since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Sadokha said that such lawsuits are attempts to intimidate Ukrainian activists exposing pro-Russian operations in Europe.

“Our duty is to protect the Ukrainian community from the influence of Russian propaganda, which often hides behind cultural or volunteer initiatives. This court decision confirms that truth and the law are on our side,” he said.

Sadokha also called the court’s ruling an important precedent, demonstrating that European countries can effectively counter the “Russkyi Mir” through lawful means.