Hromadske Radio receives bomb threats mentioning Radio Liberty journalist

Multiple Hromadske Radio represenatives and the Institute of Mass Information representative Valentyna Troyan received letters threatening to blow up the buildings housing various institutions and organizations on November 27.

The letter resembles the one that media workers and representatives of other organizations had received on November 26, with the sender claiming to be a soldier who is familiar with mines and explosives. It contained a list of institutions that the sender threatened to blow up, explaining their motive for the crimes in the same way: “Abuse faced by Ukrainian combat veterans and ATO participants.”

However, the November 27 letter is different in that the sender listed the specific persons they ask to blame for the crimes: the Radio Liberty journalist Iryna Sysak and Ukraine's deputy Minister of Finance Svitlana Vorobey.

The letter also contains an attachment – a photo of a plastic bottle stuffed with screws, pieces of what looks to be plastic explosives, and a walkie-talkie. These items are taped together and placed on an A4 paper sheet saying, in Russian: “For Svetlana Vorobey.”

Previously

As reported, on November 26, 2024, several Ukrainian media outlets and media offices received anonymous emails warning of bombs planted in various institutions across Ukraine. In particular, such letters were received by the Vilne Radio CEO Anastasia Shybiko, the chief editor of Kharkiv's news outlet Dumka Yuriy Larin, the IMI representative Valentyna Troyan, the media outlets The Page and Speka, as well as Yuriy Horbach, the director of the Center for Investigative Journalism "Syla Pravdy".

In addition, in Uzhhorod, employees of the Suspilny branch were evacuated due to a report of a bombing on November 26.

On October 14, 2024, multiple national and regional media outlets and journalists received identical emails with bomb threats. Such letters arrived to several Suspilne branches, Ukrainian Pravda, Detector Media, LIGA.net, Poltavska Dumka, Kremenchutska Hazeta, Syla Pravdy, etc.

The emails list the Radio Liberty journalists whom the senders blame for the supposed terrorist act. These are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars.