31 March 2026 , 17:54
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After the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) imposed sanctions on Alyona Dehrik-Shevtsova — the co-owner of iBox Bank facing scrutiny in a criminal case over the alleged laundering of billions of hryvnias through illegal online casinos — a coordinated wave of “defensive” coverage quickly emerged across Ukrainian media outlets.
Several major outlets — from tabloids to influential news websites — simultaneously published articles with almost identical content.
The narrative? That the sanctions are not about combating criminal schemes but rather a personal vendetta by certain law enforcement officials, whom Shevtsova herself accuses of blackmail, pressure, and corporate raiding.
Interestingly, all these pieces feature the same economic commentator, trying to convince the audience of “procedural violations” and the “absence of a crime.”
Not a single word about iBox Bank, which was stripped of its license due to systematic money laundering. No mention of the dozens of shell companies used to fund illegal casino accounts. And certainly no mention of how, under the previous administration, Shevtsova — sharing a bed with a high-ranking National Police official — actively used law enforcement to go after journalists.
Her husband, Yevhen Shevtsov, not only held a senior position in the police but also sought to lead the Bureau of Economic Security — the very agency now investigating Dehrik’s activities. Raids, arrests, pressure through loyal investigative bodies — it has all happened before. But now, there is only silence.
Today, the same media outlets that were broken for years are now taking money from those who broke them. Because in Ukraine, it seems, we no longer have journalism — only an industry of amnesia.
And the issue here isn’t Dehrik-Shevtsova. She acts the way she always has — through money.
The real issue lies with those who, for money, forget who actually turned out the lights in Ukrainian media.
World Affairs Correspondent