Diana Butsko - attack 11.12.2025

On 11 December 2025, the YouTube channel hromadske published a report by war correspondent Diana Butsko from the city of Kherson titled “Kherson: ‘It’s Better to Live Under Shelling Than Under Occupation.’”

In the comments under the report, indicators of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) were recorded, including hate speech, gendered disinformation, and online defamation. In addition, the spread of anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian narratives may indicate that the comments were posted by pro-Russian bots.

For example:

• “What a disgusting language this Diana speaks — it really makes you want to ask the people of Kherson whether they ever spoke like this before. The Banderites came to us and arranged this kind of life for us, of course with the help of the West.”

• “What a headline. Journalists have completely lost their brains. Neither ‘under shelling’ nor ‘under occupation’ goes together with the word ‘to live’ in the mind of a healthy person. It potentially goes together with the word ‘death,’ ‘fast or slow.’ As a result, brainless journalists are reasoning about which death is ‘better’ for residents of a frontline city.”

• “This video is such pot-headed garbage, hahaha, the ‘ultra-patriots’ will donate, lol.”
• “The headline is idiotic — she came, showed off, and left.”
• “Propagandists.”

The purpose of such actions may be attempts to distort the image of the journalist or the media outlet she represents, undermine trust and professional reputation, and fuel anti-Ukrainian sentiment among audiences through manipulative narratives — including those related to which language residents of frontline, occupied, or liberated territories speak: Ukrainian or Russian.