Harassment in anonymous Telegram channels and surveillance, or how easy it is to devalue a doctor’s work

In recent weeks, information has been spreading on Telegram channels and social media about Alyona Akimova, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the capital’s Perinatal Center. Posts by anonymous channels concern unofficial payments that the doctor allegedly charges for attending births. UNN decided to look into the situation, as this information has surfaced more than once. 

A fake account with a Russian woman’s photo 

It all began in May this year. At that time, an account appeared on Threads in which a young mother described her experience of giving birth at this medical facility and claimed that she had nearly lost her child because of the doctor’s indifference. 

Alina.nevedova — this was the username under which the user was registered — created the account several days before writing the post about childbirth. She showed no particular activity until she decided to share her story. According to the persona’s backstory, she "fell for a beautiful picture on the internet and trusted the doctor Alyona Akimova from TikTok." Obstetrician-gynecologist Alyona Akimova does indeed work at Kyiv’s Perinatal Center and, importantly, is active on social media. Therefore, she has a certain audience, which presumably was meant to attract greater attention to "Alina’s" post. In the user’s posts, it was claimed that, "for comfort during childbirth," the doctor immediately quoted a fee of $2,000. 

However, it soon became clear that "Alina’s" account was fake, and that the photo showed a young woman from Russia who had in fact recently given birth. Alla, as the Russian woman is called, even complained on her Instagram about fake accounts. The "Alina" profile was subsequently deleted, and the story quieted down for a while. 

But even then, the Perinatal Center viewed the situation as an attempt to exert informational pressure on the facility and Akimova, who is active on social media, where she talks about her work. The doctor has a fairly large audience, consisting predominantly of young women who have already given birth or are planning to do so. 

Round two — from a tracker to anonymous Telegram channels 

Several weeks ago, Akimova discovered that unknown individuals had attached a tracker to her car. Later, an unidentified man fired a paintball gun at a billboard advertising an equestrian sports club where Akimova trains and whose advertisement had been created using her photo. 

"That was when I finally realized that this was a targeted attack. And that it would not end there," Alyona Akimova told UNN. 

Almost immediately after the incident involving the advertising billboard, posts began appearing in anonymous Telegram channels claiming that the doctor charged unofficial fees to women giving birth. 

"I have worked as a doctor for many years, and every day I bear responsibility for the health and lives of women and newborns. At the same time, I am to some extent a public figure: I actively communicate with patients and have a substantial audience on social media. Obviously, such publicity makes me a convenient target for information attacks. They took advantage of my popularity because they understand that this casts a shadow over the entire Perinatal Center," Akimova says. 

                              Obstetrician-gynecologist Alyona Akimova 

The doctor rejects all the accusations and emphasizes that all the posts are based on fabrications. 

"There are no specific facts — only claims based on rumors from unnamed sources. It is fundamentally important to me that this campaign is not targeting only my personal reputation. Through my name, they are trying to call into question the work of the entire Perinatal Center and undermine trust in the doctors who work every day with pregnant women, women in labor, and newborns. Unfortunately, it is now very easy to insult a doctor — we are effectively defenseless against such attacks. It is deeply upsetting that real work appears insignificant against the backdrop of fabricated accusations. But I feel support from my girls, who know how everything really happens. I am very grateful to them for that," Akimova says. 

On social media, Akimova’s patients expressed their support for her. There were also users who were convinced that doctors’ work in Ukraine is not valued enough. 

The doctor herself stated that her response to all the accusations would be to continue working. 

"For me, the greatest reward is the opportunity to help bring new life into this world. Years of practice and the gratitude of my girls—that is my response to all the accusations. But if the attacks continue, I am ready to defend myself," Akimova stated. 

The capital's perinatal center has been under informational pressure for more than a month. The center's director, Dmytro Hovsiev, spoke about the reasons behind the situation. Hovsiev's account suggests that certain political forces and lobbyists for the interests of specific business structures may be behind these targeted actions.

In particular, he speaks of possible abuses by certain individuals from political circles during the transfer of humanitarian aid to medical institutions, as well as pressure on hospital heads to induce them to agree to certain contracts.

"At the same time, information campaigns are being launched that put pressure on the heads of medical institutions. This creates a vicious circle: information pressure – decision – favorable contracts. It is precisely such lobbying groups that are actively operating in the medical sector today," Hovsiev stated.