Alerts | Online intimidation or smear

Reporter harassed online after criticising military leadership

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On 6 March 2026, Ukrainian journalist Anna Kalyuzhna reported receiving a wave of insults and threatening messages following public criticism of Ukraine’s military leadership, including Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to the journalist, the backlash began after she published a Facebook post expressing concerns about the expansion and conduct of assault units within the Armed Forces.

Kalyuzhna said she received more than 150 abusive messages in less than 24 hours, many containing insults and misogynistic remarks. Several days later, she reported that she had continued to receive messages with offensive content, which she described as part of a broader campaign of pressure and intimidation linked to her professional activity. Kalyuzhna explained that many of the offensive messages were nearly identical in content and format, which she said indicated that this could have been a coordinated attack.

Kalyuzhna described the incidents as an attempt to pressure and intimidate her in connection with her reporting, and said she viewed them as interference in journalistic work.

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