Olga Rudenko - attack 23.07.2026

On 23 July 2026, Olga Rudenko, Editor-in-Chief of The Kyiv Independent, published a post on her X account commenting on the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the position of Minister of Defense of Ukraine.

“Here’s the thing: If Mykhailo Fedorov was after personal gains, he would not be fighting to return to Defense Ministry. He would ride this wave of protests to a solo political career. And yet you don’t see him doing that,” she wrote.

The post sparked mixed reactions among X users. While some readers agreed with Rudenko’s assessment, others dismissed it as “nonsense,” “flawed arguments,” and similar criticisms.

One of the accounts that reposted the post was Lasha Tumbai (@DesiredPlanet). The repost was accompanied by the following text (original style preserved):“I’m sick of the English-language network of accounts from @KyivIndependent. They are the ones shaping the entire media narrative in the West, each journalist daily telling us how we should (or shouldn’t) live without our beloved father Fedorov 🥱 We are literally watching them turn shit into a bullet before our eyes.”

Among the comments posted by the same account were statements containing signs of gender disinformation. One such comment began as follows:

“How has our supposedly enlightened nation forgotten that journalism is the second oldest profession? These sluts wouldn’t even open a laptop lid for free to write a text (whether positive or negative).”

In addition, commenters circulated a photograph showing Olga Rudenko together with investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach. The photo had been taken during the 2026 Georgiy Gongadze Prize award ceremony. Under the image, the journalists were labeled “foreign agents.” Users also began discussing Olga Rudenko’s private life in the comments.

This case demonstrates signs of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including gender disinformation, online defamation, misogynistic hate speech, sexist insults, and a reputational attack directed at journalist Olga Rudenko. Although the original post concerned a political assessment of a personnel decision, the subsequent social media reaction shifted attention away from the substance of her argument toward discrediting her as a woman and media professional. The use of terms such as “sluts,” together with claims that female journalists allegedly work for money and lack professional integrity, are characteristic manifestations of misogynistic rhetoric and gender disinformation aimed at undermining trust in the journalist’s professional work.

An additional indicator of TFGBV is the circulation of a photograph of Olga Rudenko with journalist Mykhailo Tkach accompanied by the label “foreign agents,” which constitutes a form of online defamation and reputational attack through the baseless attribution of political or foreign dependence. The discussion of the journalist’s personal life in the comments further reflects a gendered shift of attention from her professional activity to her private sphere. Collectively, these actions create a hostile online environment, increase psychological pressure, and may have a chilling effect on the journalist’s future public engagement and professional activity.