Oleksandra Fedorko - attack 13.08.2024

On August 13, 2024, Oleksandra Fedorko, who at that time was serving as editor-in-chief of the outlet Mezha, reported the launch of a discreditation campaign against her. After the publication of an investigation into the head of the Central Interregional Department of the State Migration Service in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, Viacheslav Huz, doctored images appeared online in which Oleksandra Fedorko was deliberately depicted naked through photomontage. These images were uploaded to an adult website, along with the journalist’s phone number.

In a comment to Women in Media, Oleksandra Fedorko said:

“I will not name any names, because I don’t know who did this. Maybe it wasn’t even these people, but it is strange that this happened precisely after the publication of the mentioned materials.”

In this case, the online attack involved image distortion — a tactic that typically uses someone’s photos out of context, often with sexual overtones. It also included doxxing, that is, the dissemination of personal information such as a home address or phone number. The journalist noted that she had contacted the cyber police and filed a report, but the case saw no further development.

Instead, in May 2025, a court obliged Mezha to publish a retraction of the information presented in the investigation.