Russia charges children’s hospice chief with spreading false war information

Russian investigators have detained Lida Moniava, a prominent advocate for critically ill children, and charged her with deliberately spreading false information about the actions of Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians.

The Investigative Committee said Moniava posted “knowingly false information presented as credible reports about actions by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation against Ukraine’s civilian population” on Telegram. It said she did not admit guilt during questioning.

Moniava has publicly criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine, calling it a crime that must end. Earlier in 2026, she was fined for allegedly discrediting the army. At the time, she said she could not leave Russia because children needing palliative care would otherwise be left in institutions and intensive care units. “But I also cannot stay silent, as if there were no war,” she wrote on Telegram.

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But I also cannot stay silent, as if there were no war.

Her Lighthouse charity provides hospice care for children and young adults in Moscow and the surrounding region. The organization said it was waiting for information about its founder and would continue operating as usual.

Russia has tightened its crackdown on dissent since invading Ukraine in February 2022. Laws introduced during the war prescribe long prison terms for people convicted of discrediting the military or deliberately spreading false information about it. OVD-Info says more than 1,380 people have faced criminal prosecution for expressing anti-war views, with about 350 currently in prison or pre-trial detention.

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We will continue operating as usual ... At the moment, we have no further information.