RSF - Reporters sans frontières
RSF - Reporters sans frontières
02/27/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/27/2026 11:43
Ukraine: probe into smear campaign against environmental journalist Olena Mudra stalls
Nearly eight months after Ukrainian environmental journalist Olena Mudra filed a complaint for obstruction of her work after she was targeted by a smear campaign, those responsible still have not been identified. Revelations published by Ukrainian investigative outlet NGL.media, which have been corroborated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), raise questions about the quality of the police investigation. RSF calls on the Ukrainian authorities to conduct an independent and thorough inquiry.
"Overall, I feel the police don't want to cooperate in this case, neither with me nor with my lawyer," Olena Mudratold RSF, eight months after she filed a complaintwith the courts in June 2025 for "obstruction of journalistic activity" and "invasion of privacy." The smear campaign, which notably accused her of producing fabricated investigations on Russia's behalf and involved fake videos and a photomontage depicting her in a Russian uniform, was launched after the journalist published an investigationinto the construction of a controversial wind farm in the Carpathian Mountains. The videos are still circulating on Facebook and YouTube.
A mysterious complaint filed against the journalist
While her complaint was stagnating, in the week beginning 22 February, Olena Mudra learned that a criminal case had been opened against her without her knowledge, despite her statements to the police. According to an investigationpublished on 24 February by local investigative outlet NGL.media, the case against her was reportedly registered on 5 July 2025 following a letter accusing her and another Ukrainian environmental activist of embezzling funds to organise a fictitious event. The alleged author of the letter that triggered a fraud investigation into Olena Mudra - who presented himself as "Marik Fedirko" - most likely does not exist, according to the same journalistic investigation. The name is also linked to a fake Facebook profile that helped spread fake videos targeting the journalist. In one of these videos, a character bearing the same name appears to have been generated by artificial intelligence (AI), according to RSF analysis.
"The investigation into the smear campaign targeting Olena Mudra has made no visible progress, despite the fact it's delivery of meaningful results is vital. The lack of headway in the investigation into the defamation campaign against her contrasts with the speed with which criminal proceedings were brought against her on the basis of anonymous, unsubstantiated allegations, according to information published by the Ukrainian investigative outletNGL.media and corroborated by RSF. RSF calls on the Ukrainian police to carry out a rigorous and independent investigation.
Pauline Maufrais
RSF Regional Officer for Ukraine
RSF contacted the Ukrainian police in charge of the case but received no response.
Published on27.02.2026
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