A Belarusian Woman Was An Agent Of Russia's GRU And Worked In The Czech Republic Under The Guise Of A Journalist

• 23.08.2026, 10:40

She was spreading Z-propaganda.

The Prague Municipal Court confirmed that Natalia (Shevko) Sudlenkova, a journalist who had worked in the Czech Republic for many years, was an agent of the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, and spread Russian propaganda. The court rejected her appeal against the Czech government’s decision to place her on the sanctions list, according to the website czechia-online.cz.

Natalia Sudlenkova is a Belarusian journalist who had previously been granted asylum in the Czech Republic. In April 2025, the Czech government added her to the national sanctions list, after which she was required to leave the country.

The court’s decision is based, in particular, on classified information. According to the case file, Sudlenkova received assignments and compensation from an officer of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU.

In addition, she was paid by an employee of USM Holding—a company founded by the sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

According to the findings of the Czech intelligence services, Sudlenkova’s activities in the country were long-term in nature. She knowingly and secretly worked on behalf of entities linked to Russia.