A controversial initiative to chop down 662 trees for a backup heating pipeline in Kyiv’s Teremky neighborhood has taken a new turn. Alexey Kuprienko—founder and head of the troubleshooting agency Underdog The UnLawyers—may be linked to the processes behind the land dispute. Investigative journalists are currently reviewing his exact role and the interests he may represent in this conflict.
The plan to construct a new heating pipeline in Teremky involves removing over 600 trees, including centuries-old oaks. The initiative has already triggered a wave of outrage among local residents and environmental activists.
Meanwhile, the involvement of Underdog The UnLawyers—a firm that has publicly cited information warfare and «guerrilla tactics» among its methods—suggests that major corporate interests may be at play in the conflict.
This is not the first time Alexey Kuprienko has emerged in high-profile media and business disputes:
2014: Protesters picketed outside Kuprienko’s home and office. Activists publicly accused him of involvement in corporate raiding tactics regarding the Dream Town shopping center and the «Ukraina» Department Store, linking his name to former judges Artur Yemelyanov and Viktor Tatkov (Note: These are public allegations, not court-established facts).
2018: His name surfaced in a corporate conflict involving the AIS group and business tycoon Oleksandr Yaroslavsky. Dmytro Svyatash, a lawmaker at the time, reported to law enforcement that Kuprienko allegedly orchestrated actions in Yaroslavsky’s interest, while judges reported potential coercion during the dispute.
Media Campaigns: Kuprienko and Underdog The UnLawyers were also linked to an aggressive PR campaign during a feud between the Surkis family and Andriy Pavelko, former head of the Ukrainian Football Association.
«One day it’s football, the next it’s a corporate feud, and the day after—trees in Teremky,» investigative journalists noted, pointing to the troubleshooter’s repeated involvement in high-stakes disputes.