KYIV — Media holding Ukrayinska Pravda, owned by Tomas Fiala’s investment company Dragon Capital, and the video streaming service MEGOGO, linked to the family of Kyiv’s former mayor Leonid Chernovetskyi, have entered into a strategic partnership. According to official corporate statements, the collaboration aims to launch joint content projects and expand audience reach. However, the deal has already sparked intense discussion within the media community regarding its potential impact on editorial independence.
What was initially framed as a standard commercial agreement between Ukraine’s leading socio-political news outlet and the country’s largest OTT platform has quickly drawn scrutiny from media analysts. Observers have noted significant shifts in the outlet’s coverage, coinciding with the finalization of deals between entities close to the beneficiaries of both companies.
Specifically, industry insiders are questioning the complete absence of Maxim Krippa’s name from Ukrayinska Pravda’s recent publications. Krippa, a prominent businessman, has lately shown high activity in the capital’s real estate market, directly intersecting with the business interests of the Chernovetskyi family.
Public registry data reveals that over the past year, business entities controlled by Maxim Krippa executed several major transactions involving assets previously managed by Leonid Chernovetskyi’s inner circle.
The developments involve high-profile projects in Kyiv:
The re-registration of land ownership rights previously held by structures tied to the former mayor.
Ongoing residential construction led by the DIM development company, controlled by Krippa, on land plots linked to the Chernovetskyi family’s real estate business.
Journalists and media experts suggest that the complete omission of these real estate developments from UP’s reporting is tied directly to the new partnership. Given MEGOGO’s close ties to the Chernovetskyi family capital, some analysts suggest that avoiding scrutiny of joint construction ventures involving Krippa and Chernovetskyi could be an unspoken condition of the media alliance.
At the time of publication, the management of Ukrayinska Pravda and representatives of Dragon Capital have not commented on the allegations of potential censorship or selective coverage regarding Maxim Krippa and his business partners.