Olha Butko - attack 30.08.2025

On August 30, 2025, a video featuring the image of journalist and TV presenter Olha Butko appeared on the TikTok account @eduni_novunu_ukaine. In the clip, which imitates a news broadcast, the host allegedly announces that due to an electricity shortage, power supply will be temporarily cut off in eight regions. At the end of the video, viewers are invited to follow a link to a Telegram channel to supposedly find the list of affected regions and outage schedules.

The content shows signs of a fraudulent scheme, as encouraging users to follow unknown links may lead to the loss of personal data, account hacking, or other risks. The content is not labeled as AI-generated, and the channel name — eduni_novunu_ukaine — appears to reference the National “United News” telethon, which may serve as an additional tool for manipulating viewers’ attention and trust.

Thus, this case demonstrates signs of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), including deepfake manipulation, impersonation, and gendered disinformation. The use of journalist Olha Butko’s image and imitation of her voice without consent to spread false information constitutes a form of digital forgery that may mislead audiences. The deliberate exploitation of public trust in a recognizable woman journalist, as well as in the brand of a well-known TV channel, may cause reputational harm both to the host and to the media outlet as a whole.