YouTube blocked the channels of Shelest and Karasev after the introduction of sanctions by the National Security and Defense Council.

The video hosting platform YouTube has restricted access to three channels that were distributing Russian narratives and belonged to authors against whom sanctions were recently imposed in Ukraine. The block was reported by the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD).

In particular, the channels 'SHELEST.Accents' and 'SHELEST', hosted by journalist Oleksandr Shelest, have become unavailable for Ukrainian users. He previously worked for the sanctioned TV channel 'NewsOne', which is linked to individuals suspected of state treason, Viktor Medvedchuk and Yevhen Murayev.

The block also affected the channel 'Govoritsya and Proves Vadim Karasev', which was renamed to 'POLITIKUM' after the sanctions were imposed. Its host is political scientist Vadim Karasev, who has regularly appeared as an expert on Medvedchuk's TV channels '112 Ukraine' and 'NewsOne' since 2014, and later became a host on the channel 'Nash' owned by Yevhen Murayev.

Sanctions from the National Security and Defense Council were imposed against Oleksandr Shelest and Vadim Karasev, which were enacted by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on April 11, 2025. The sanctions list includes a total of 71 individuals and 18 organizations, among them those managed by Viktor Medvedchuk.

A similar case occurred in January 2025, when the YouTube channel 'Lana TUT!', authored by former host of banned pro-Russian media Lana Shevchuk, became unavailable for viewing in Ukraine. According to 'Detector Media' from its own sources, this was a result of the work of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council.

Analysis

YouTube restricted access to three channels that were spreading Russian narratives and belonged to authors against whom sanctions were imposed in Ukraine. This is another step in the fight against disinformation and propaganda of ideas threatening to the country. The blocking of channels controlled by individuals managed by Viktor Medvedchuk indicates a decisive course by the authorities to limit the influence of pro-Russian forces.