Iryna Mankivska - attack 25.07.2026

On July 25, 2026, the YouTube channel Bihus.info published a video titled “Do Protests Work? Staffing chaos, a New Commander-in-Chief, and the Koretskyi Government.” The program discussed the resignation of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko’s Cabinet, the appointment of Serhii Koretskyi as the new prime minister, the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of Minister of Defense, the conflict between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and mass protests on Franko Square. The host was Iryna Mankivska.

Comments under the video targeted the host’s appearance and included assumptions about her personality and intellectual abilities. For example:

• “You have a great channel and all that. But this auntie Ira doesn’t fit as a host. 🙁 nothing personal.”
• “What an ugly host. Don’t do this again.”
• “Funny how it happens — where are the smart and beautiful ones, and why isn’t that the case here? 😄”
• “The host praised herself and talked about how great she was at school. What is this, kindergarten? Maybe show us your certificates too?”
• “I think Ira is not a very pleasant person in real life.”
• “Why do the servants of bot farms and Russian channels have such stupid faces, including this couch expert-host? Spend a week in that cesspool of banned parties and everything becomes stupid, not just the face.”

In addition, the media outlet itself was described as a “Klitschko information dump,” accused of “manipulation,” “politicization,” “pushing a sponsor’s agenda,” and lacking independence.

This case shows signs of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), primarily in the form of sexist remarks, misogynistic online harassment, appearance-based humiliation, and reputational attacks against host Iryna Mankivska. A substantial portion of the comments does not address the content of the broadcast, the professional arguments presented, or the host’s journalistic work, but instead focuses on evaluating her appearance, comparing her to imagined standards of female attractiveness, and making degrading assumptions about her personal qualities and intellect. Such statements are a typical form of gender-based online harassment because they seek to devalue the woman specifically as a public figure and media professional.

The comments also contain elements of online defamation and reputational attacks against Bihus.info itself through accusations of operating “bot farms,” engaging in “manipulation,” being “political,” and serving sponsors’ interests. Combined with the personal insults directed at the host, this creates a hostile online environment in which the journalist’s discrediting occurs simultaneously with the discrediting of the newsroom.