On 18 December 2025, journalist Yulia Boychenko of the Mykolaiv-based outlet Mykvisti became the target of online attacks following the publication of an article examining the condition and functioning of Mykolaiv’s sewage system and broader water-supply infrastructure. The article included photographs illustrating the state of the system.
Following the publication, local activist Valery Prud criticised Boychenko in a Facebook post, accusing her of endangering the city by publishing images of sewage infrastructure. Prud claimed that such photographs could allegedly be used by Russian forces to plan future strikes on Mykolaiv. Reacting to the situation, Boychenko explained that she had taken the photos on an official press tour organised by local authorities, who instructed journalists as to what images it was safe to publish. In a comment provided to Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information (IMI), MykVisti editor-in-chief Oleh Dereniuha added that the outlet perceived Prud’s Facebook post as intimidation of journalists, and that MykVisti would file a relevant complaint with the police.