Polygraph

The Ukrainian government has shut down political parties, media outlets, and churches.

Posted by The Pete Quiñones Show, Checked

Polygraph verdictTrue
Sources
6 support4 context
Said
1 time·
Confidence
70%
The Pete Quiñones ShowOct 1, 2026
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521 claimsThe check →

Sources from 2022 to 2026 show Ukraine banned or suspended political parties (eleven parties banned in 2022, including the OPZZh), restricted or shut down media outlets (channels taken off air and consolidated under a state platform), and banned the activities of Moscow-linked churches (the UOC-MP).

This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.

What was said

… How long is the high command going to continue to send them to certain death? I mean, how many purges in the office corps has occurred? At least one or two, at least two, I should say, since February of 2022. Zelensky is well aware that he is despised, if for no other reason than this: the shutting down of political parties, all media that was even vaguely pro-Russian, churches, eliminating all labor rights, eliminating all, you know, God, it's going to be another 10 years, it's going to be 75 now where you have to get any kind of pension, with a worthless currency no less, and they wonder why Crimea wants to be a part of Russia, …
The Pete Quiñones Show · · from the transcriptPost →

What we found

Supports. Freedom House reports that a 2022 law banned political parties that deny Russian aggression, with more than a dozen parties identified as 'pro-Russian' and banned, including the OPZZh.[4][5]

Supports. Government controls over media outlets were implemented after the 2022 invasion, and the National Security and Defense Council ordered independent TV channels taken off the air.[4][5][6]

Supports. Ukraine banned the activities of religious organizations affiliated with Russia in 2022, and Zelenskyy signed a 2024 law banning Moscow-linked religious organisations, which Reuters and AP report.[1][2][7]

Context. The bans were tied to alleged links to Russia during the full-scale war, not opposition status as such, and the claim omits this qualifier; the post's 'pro-Russian' framing is the same basis, so the core shutdowns are still accurately described.[3][8]

Context. Some sources, such as an opinion piece and a Russian mission statement, describe these closures as political repression, but this is characterization rather than a contradiction of the shutdowns themselves.[5][9][10]

Sources

10 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 7 not rated

  1. 1Ukraine's Zelenskiy signs law banning Moscow-linked ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  2. 2Ukraine bans religious organizations with links to Russiaapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
  3. 3Did Zelenskyy Call for Sanctions on 'Any Christian Caught ...snopes.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
  4. 4Ukraine: Freedom in the World 2026 Country Reportfreedomhouse.org · not rated · cited for: supports
  5. 5Ukraine Sure Doesn't Look Like a Democracy Anymore | Opinionnewsweek.com · not rated · cited for: supports, context
  6. 6Ukraine Needs to Pursue Victory Without Sacrificing Its Democratic ...cfr.org · not rated · cited for: supports
  7. 7Freedom House (Author): “Freedom in the World 2025 - Ukraine ...ecoi.net · not rated · cited for: supports
  8. 8A post manipulates claims about the shutdown of ...truthmeter.mk · not rated · cited for: context
  9. 9Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United ...russiaun.ru · not rated · cited for: context
  10. 10False Democracycato.org · not rated · cited for: context

Where this claim was made

Said in 1 published post

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