A Certified Freelancer: Who Is Lyubov Velychko, and Why Is She Being Promoted in the Media?
“What motivates you to regularly share anti-mobilization content?” — Instead of “Good afternoon,” a message like this recently popped up in the inbox of public figure and analyst Vladislav Smirnov from a user with the nickname “Velychko.” The woman did not introduce herself, did not name the publication she represented, and did not specify the topic of the upcoming article.
A freelancer acting on her own behalf
On her own social media pages, Lyubov Velychko projects the image of an uncompromising media professional—her profile description states that she “breaks high-profile scandals down to their molecular level.” Lyubov positions herself as a versatile investigative journalist whose articles regularly appear on platforms such as Texty.org.ua, Mind.ua, “Dzerkalo Tyzhnia,” and others.
However, none of the publications where she publishes her work officially confirms that she is on staff.
All media platforms with which Velychko collaborates position her exclusively as a contributing writer or a freelance contributor on specific grant-funded projects. This arrangement allows the publications to capitalize on controversial topics while simultaneously absolving them of direct legal and ethical responsibility for her methods, the collection of personal data, and the legal consequences of her “investigations.”
Thus, in the public and legal spheres, Velychko acts as a private individual with a press card who independently selects targets for attacks. This is what happened with Vladislav Smirnov. An expert who regularly publishes analyses of government decisions and draft legislation in the fields of healthcare and social policy drew attention to the wording: the question immediately implied an affirmative conclusion regarding the interlocutor’s guilt.
The conflict quickly spilled over beyond private correspondence. Smirnov published screenshots of the conversation, accusing the author of the inquiry, Lyubov Velychko, of using manipulative methods and attempting to artificially frame his journalism under criminal provisions regarding obstruction of the activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In response, the journalist—with the support of the NGO “Women in Media”—published a report accusing Smirnov and other commenters of gender-based pressure, sexism, and misogyny.
Incidentally, in early March 2026, the Pecherskyi and Solomyanskyi District Courts of Kyiv ordered law enforcement agencies to launch a pretrial investigation into Lyubov Velychko’s actions:
- Ruling dated February 26, 2026 (Case No. 757/9968/26-k) — regarding the Office of the Prosecutor General;
- Ruling dated March 2, 2026 (Case No. 757/9967/26-k)—regarding the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office;
- Ruling dated March 2, 2026 (Case No. 757/9966/26-k)—regarding the Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation in Kyiv.
Information about the events must be entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations (URPI).
The Method of Presumption and “Contamination by Connections”
Analyzing the incident in his video blog, Vladislav Smirnov noted that he encountered a well-established tactic that has nothing to do with journalistic standards:
“A person writes without introducing themselves or explaining what they do. And the first question is phrased verbatim: ‘What motivates you to so regularly share anti-mobilization content?’ But a journalist doesn’t start with presuppositions right off the bat. This puts the person on the defensive, forcing them to justify something they haven’t done. It’s as if I asked her why she hates men and demanded an explanation. This is pure manipulation.”
Following Smirnov’s official inquiry to the editorial office of “Texts,” it became clear that Velychko is not a full-time employee of the publication but is working as a freelancer on a project researching information campaigns.
According to Smirnov, in her publications, Velychko used the “association guilt” tactic—that is, she placed his last name in the same category as toxic bloggers or those who have left the country, with whom the analyst has never had any contact:
“This is done to automatically project the already established negative image of other people onto me. I don’t have any blogs; I’m engaged in analytical and journalistic work. But when they need a result, they take criticism of the authorities, frame it as ‘anti-mobilization,’ and compile lists for reporting purposes.”
A Conveyor Belt of Scandals and a “Gender Shield”
The situation with Smirnov is not the first public conflict involving Lyubov Velychko. In recent years, her reports have regularly been the subject of court proceedings and public denials.
In 2020, while covering a special operation involving “Wagner Group” members, Velychko published information alleging that the head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, had allegedly received $40 million from Russia for facilitating the handover of Volodymyr Tsemakh. The Office of the President officially dismissed this claim as fake news. It later emerged that one of her sources was Russian military correspondent Oleksandr Kots.
A series of her publications on the gambling industry and online casinos led to lawsuits filed by financial institutions—including IBOX Bank and Alta Capital—seeking to protect their business reputations, as they accused her of manipulating data.
Vladislav Smirnov notes that a consistent pattern of response can be observed in all these cases:
“There were scandals everywhere, and everywhere she filed reports with the police alleging pressure or harassment. First, she provokes the subject of her investigation, elicits a response, twists it into aggression, attributes sexism or misogyny to it, and then records it in the databases of human rights organizations. This is done so that when Google search results for the person’s last name appear, they show negative content about the ‘persecution of journalists.’”
According to the analyst, the use of the “Women in Media” NGO’s platform in this case was an attempt to shift the focus from professional mistakes to human rights issues:
“Lacking legal grounds, she decided to hide behind a ‘gender shield.’ In the organization’s report, they took abusive comments from third parties under my post and artificially attributed them to me. At the same time, in the last paragraph, the editors themselves acknowledged that criticism of a journalistic approach without a gender component constitutes a professional discussion.”
Selectivity in Investigations
The selectivity of the topics Velichko covers deserves special attention. As a freelance contributor to the business portal Mind.ua, she published a series of articles criticizing law enforcement agencies. At the same time, the journalist stubbornly ignored the criminal proceedings against Pavlo Barbul, the former head of the state-owned enterprise “Spetstekhnoexport.” Investigative authorities are looking into cases No. 52017000000000889 and No. 52025000000000404, which concern the possible embezzlement of over 80 million hryvnias in state funds through “SPEC PROM MECHANIZATION” LLC and 3.78 million euros through the Czech firm “Vakur s.r.o.” No investigation into Barbula’s activities or abuses at “Spetstekhnoexport” has been published on the website.
The Family’s Legal Cases
At the same time, legal issues are also arising within Lyuba Velychko’s family. The journalist’s husband, Oleg Ryabov, is registered with the Brovary Territorial Military Registration and Enlistment Office and has been granted a deferment from mobilization. On what grounds? It is unknown. According to data from the Unified State Register of Court Decisions, administrative reports were filed against him on multiple occasions between 2023 and 2026.
Specifically, these include driving under the influence (Article 130 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), traffic violations resulting in a traffic accident (Article 124 of the Code of Administrative Offenses), and failure to fulfill parental obligations (Article 184 of the Code of Administrative Offenses). Currently, the Brovary City and District Court of Kyiv Oblast has scheduled another hearing under Article 130 of the Code of Administrative Offenses regarding driving while intoxicated.
Velychko herself was also held administratively liable in 2026 for violating traffic rules while driving a BMW X3 belonging to a third party.
Legal Consequences
It is high time for investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the city prosecutor’s office to provide a legal assessment of Lyubov Velychko’s actions regarding the collection of personal data, her methods of surveying citizens, and the compliance of her activities with Ukrainian law. However, there is a caveat. At any court hearing, the defendant, Lyubov Velychko, will remain silent during her testimony, citing Article 63 of the Constitution of Ukraine—specifically, exercising her right not to testify against herself.
