Anna Redko - attack 25.12.2024

Anna Redko, a journalist for TV5 from Zaporizhzhia, relocated to Transcarpathia due to the ongoing hostilities. In November 2021, she received the first message from a user with a profile that had no photo and the nickname Forgeman Smith: “Hello, Anna, my name is Dmitry.”

After receiving no response, the stalker began to regularly write and call the journalist via Facebook Messenger. When she ignored him, he started reaching out to her colleagues and family. “He claimed that he “knows” me through TV and quoted my broadcasts. This led to his imaginary ideas about “connecting” with me,” Anna Redko told Women in Media.

In 2024, the stalking escalated to physical presence. The stalker discovered that Anna had moved to Uzhhorod and found out her work address. He waited outside her office in his car and sent messages requesting a meeting. He also revealed his real name. In January 2024, he showed up at her workplace, demanding a meeting, and hinted to her colleagues that after their conversation, she would “want to continue.” Anna perceived this as a physical threat. Also, the man claimed to know who her parents were, where they worked, and even mentioned Anna’s address in Zaporizhzhia.

In 2024, Anna contacted the Uzhhorod police and a representative of the Ombudsman, but did not receive adequate protection. The journalist was forced to relocate and has since kept her new address undisclosed. She restricted access to her social media and its content.

“I hide my trips home and to other cities. According to the police, he allegedly returned to Zaporizhzhia, but there are no obstacles to his return at any time, since the restraining order was not applied to him. In addition, since he serves in the army, it is obvious that he has access to weapons,” said Anna Redko.