The owner of ‘Trukha’ announced that T.C.K. had been detained following the announcement of an investigation into the Ministry of Defence
Maksym Lavrynenko reported this on Telegram.
Maksym Lavrynenko, owner of the ‘Truha’ network of Telegram channels, reported that he had been detained by representatives of the regional recruitment centre.
According to him, over the past month, the channel’s team had been working on an investigation into possible corruption schemes in the defence sector.
Lavrynenko claims that the investigation centres on the procurement of drones, and that the report itself could become one of the most high-profile scandals in the defence sector since the start of the full-scale war.
Allegations against the Ministry of Defence
The day before, ‘Trukha’ announced a report on alleged corruption schemes during the procurement of drones.
Lavrynenko stated that he faced pressure whilst preparing the report. He also claims that his detention allegedly took place on the personal orders of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
He did not provide any evidence to support this claim.
Lavrynenko did not specify exactly what happened following his detention.
The conflict with Sternenko
The owner of ‘Truha’ also accused Serhiy Sternenko, an adviser to the Defence Minister, of making threats and spreading false information.
At the same time, Sternenko has repeatedly criticised ‘Trukha’ in recent times. In particular, he claimed that the channel publishes the locations of Russian strikes, and also hinted at a change in the media project’s ownership.
Rumours of a change of ownership at ‘Trukha’
Publications regarding a possible change of ownership of the network have drawn further attention to the situation.
Earlier, Forbes Ukraine, citing its own sources, reported that Kharkiv-based crypto entrepreneur Mykola Udianskyi could have become a new investor or owner of ‘Truha’. According to the publication’s sources, the value of the media network could be between 15 and 25 million dollars.
However, both Udyansky and Lavrinenko denied that the project had been sold and stated that the ownership structure had not changed.
What is known about ‘Truha’
‘Trukha Ukraine’ is one of the country’s largest Telegram channels, with over three million subscribers.
According to media market estimates, the network comprises dozens of regional and thematic channels with a combined audience of around nine million users.
As reported by ThePublic, during the war, anonymous Telegram channels have ceased to be merely a source of news and gossip. They have become a tool of influence: they are used to spread panic, disseminate dubious information, undermine state institutions and shape the political agenda. The state is already attempting to establish at least basic rules for Telegram. Bill No. 11115 has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada. Its rationale is simple: if a platform has a massive influence on public sentiment, it must have clearly identifiable owners and be held accountable for its content.
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