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Investigations

An illustration of a man talking to a woman on an online dating site.
Investigations

Investigation: The romance scam tricking men into ‘rescuing’ Ukrainian women from Russian occupation

by Linda Hourani

Stefan, a 48-year-old Austrian national whose name has been changed at his request, had been looking for a Ukrainian partner. Having previously dated a Ukrainian woman, he said he was drawn to what he viewed as the importance of family in Ukrainian culture. He met "Alona Panchenko," who claimed to be from the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on the international dating website Christian Cupid. Soon after they matched, she suggested moving their conversation to email.

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Inside Austria's network of Ukrainian fugitives, Russian elites, and political connections

The detention of two Ukrainian journalists in Austria earlier this month while conducting an investigation has highlighted deeper systemic concerns. Mykhailo Tkach and Yaroslav Bondarenko were investigating a former Ukrainian prosecutor general who had fled Ukraine and settled in Vienna. Austria has increasingly come under scrutiny for providing refuge to individuals wanted in connection with corruption cases in Ukraine, as well as Russian officials and oligarchs. Meanwhile, several senior Aus

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