On November 4, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau released audio recordings that expose a plot to douse Ukrainian journalist Denys Bihus with acid. The tapes capture two suspects discussing physical retaliation against the founder of Bihus.Info for his investigations into illegal businesses. One suspect, nicknamed "Mexican," explicitly states the intent to intimidate the reporter by damaging his face. He says, "if we splash acid on his f***ing face, he’ll not be so presentable." The alleged criminal group leaders were later identified as Andrii Osipov and Yehor Burkin, with Burkin reportedly founding the transnational drug ring known as Khimprom. The scheme involved senior officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police, and the Prosecutor General’s Office systematically bribing these figures to secure protection for scam call centers and drug trafficking operations. This release forms part of NABU’s operation "Carthage," which previously led to the dismissal and flight of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko in September.
The threats directly link to a March investigation by Bihus.Info that exposed U420, a retail chain selling synthetic cannabinoids at purported souvenir shops. Police traced the chain back to Khimprom, and the Interior Ministry laboratory confirmed illegal substances in products purchased by journalists. Svitlana Stetsenko, a Bihus.info journalist who helped expose U420, described the situation as stark: law enforcement is not a problem for the criminals, but journalists are. She noted that the recordings show a drug syndicate bargaining with high-ranking officials, including former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. Oksana Romaniuk, head of the Institute of Mass Information, called the recordings "absolutely disturbing" and argued that discussing an acid attack against a well-known journalist constitutes an attack on press freedom as a whole. Her greatest concern is the potential relationship between criminals’ interests and law enforcement agencies, stating that press freedom cannot be guaranteed if those responsible for protecting journalists may themselves be connected to the threats.
Bihus, who now serves in the military, commented that he expected nothing less from a "gangster," though adding that the acid idea was surprising even to him. He emphasized that the worst part was hearing top officials in all law enforcement agencies blatantly working for these "gangsters from the 90s." In January 2024, SBU employees surveilled Bihus.Info journalists by installing hidden cameras in their hotel rooms and releasing the videos. An investigation launched subsequently has made no progress in two years, according to IMI. Bihus remains skeptical that this case will be solved, noting that previous investigations were simply stretched for the time long enough for everything to be forgotten. The IMI Freedom of Speech Barometer documented 69 freedom-of-speech violations committed by Ukrainian nationals or institutions during the first eight months of 2026. These included mainly obstruction of lawful reporting and denial of access to information, but also cyberattacks, death threats, and judicial pressure. On November 5, five members of the alleged criminal group were charged in a case implicating senior law enforcement officials. The ECHR ruled on the same day that Ukraine violated Kateryna Handziuk’s right to life after her 2018 acid attack, highlighting a persistent failure to properly examine whether others had ordered such violence.
