Mezha is a Ukrainian news agency founded by media manager Petro Terentiev.[2]

Mezha
Native name
Межа
Type of site
news agency
Available inUkrainian, English
Headquarters
Kyiv
,
Ukraine
Founder(s)Petro Terentiev
EditorOleksandra Fedorko
URLmezha.net/eng/
RegistrationMinistry of Justice of Ukraine[1]
LaunchedSeptember 6, 2023; 12 months ago (2023-09-06)

The publication owns the domain name of the Bukvy news agency bykvu.com,[3] as well as the domain name of Ukraine's fifth president, Petro Poroshenko, petroporoshenko.com.[4][5]

History

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In July 2023, the founders of the Bukvy news agency, Kateryna Roshuk and Petro Terentiev, announced a conflict.[2] As a result, part of the team, led by Kateryna Roshuk, withdrew access to the social media of the original bykvu.com website and started working on a new website with a similar domain, bukvy.org.[2] However, now the original bykvu.com website continues to work with Petro Terentiev's team, but under the name Mezha.[6] Terentiev noted that Mezha is “the former Bukvy news agency, which rebranded itself, removing the name at the request of readers”.[7]

The website bykvu.com remains in the ownership of Petro Terentiev, as well as the trademark for the publication of the TM "BUKVY" (which is the intellectual property of Petro Terentiev).[2] The website bukvy.org copies the name of the TM and copies Petro Terentiev's domain bukvy.ua, which is illegal.[2] Bukvy's social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram, belong to Bukvy.com LLC, where Petro Terentiev holds a 50% stake. This confirms that he is the owner of both bykvu.com and the Bukvy social media.[2]

On 18 January 2024, Petro Terentiev announced that Mezha would use the domain name of the fifth President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, petroporoshenko.com, calling this decision “a move to the second level of his game”.[5] Terentiev also added that Petro Poroshenko should go to court against him, “or rather against the Mezha media agency”.[5]

Since April 2024, Oleksandra Fedorko has been the editor-in-chief of Mezha.[7][8]

Investigations

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On 10 August 2024, Mezha published an investigation into the head of the Kyiv State Migration Service, Vyacheslav Guz.[9] The investigation focuses on Guz's illegal income, his wife with a Russian passport, as well as his ownership of undeclared property and friendship with the sanctioned pro-Russian oligarch Pavlo Fuks.[9]

According to the journalists, Guz acts in favour of Fuks, corrupting Ukrainian officials, politicians and law enforcement officers.[9] The Mezha editorial board has information that Fuks and Guz met during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Insiders say that in the autumn of 2022, on Fuks's birthday, Guz visited him in the United Kingdom.[9]

An investigation by the Mezha editorial board revealed schemes under which the head of the Kyiv State Migration Service issued Ukrainian passports to criminal figures and Russian citizens for substantial bribes.[10]

Through court registers, journalists discovered a scheme whereby Russian citizens filed lawsuits against the Kyiv State Migration Service after being denied passports. The court declared the actions of the department unlawful and ordered the issuance of passports.[10] The Kyiv State Migration Service delayed appeals or executed applications incorrectly, allowing Russian citizens to obtain Ukrainian passports.[10] According to the investigation, the cost of such services for criminals was $500,000, and for ordinary Russian citizens $100,000.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "ТОВ "МЕЖА НЕТ"". opendatabot.ua. Opendatabot.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oleksandra Kholodenko (2024-04-23). "Частина команди видання Bukvy.com продовжує працювати з командою Петра Терентьєва, але під іншою назвою". ukranews.com. Ukrainian News Agency.
  3. ^ "bykvu.com".
  4. ^ "petroporoshenko.com".
  5. ^ a b c Petro Terentiev (2024-01-18). "Петро Порошенко. Вітаю, ви перейшли на другий рівень моєї гри".
  6. ^ Valentyna Troyan (2023-07-10). ""Букви" заявили про припинення співпраці зі співзасновником та зміну домену". imi.org.ua. Institute of Mass Information.
  7. ^ a b "Зміни в редакції Межа: з квітня 2024 року Олександра Федорко стає головною редакторкою видання". mezha.net. Mezha. 2024-04-10.
  8. ^ Oleksandra Kholodenko (2024-04-10). "Редакцію "Межа" очолила Олександра Федорко". ukranews.com. Ukrainian News Agency.
  9. ^ a b c d "Гузь, Гудзь, Фукс : що повʼязує ДМСника, модель та олігарха". mezha.net. Mezha. 2024-07-10.
  10. ^ a b c d "Vyacheslav Guz, a Kyiv State Migration Service official, sells Ukrainian passports to Russians". mezha.net. Межа. 2024-07-25.
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