Oksana Sokolova

Oksana Mykolayivna Sokolova is a Ukrainian journalist, television producer, and television presenter, known for her long-standing contributions to Ukraine's television journalism industry. She serves as head of the editorial office at Starlight News. She is the creator and host of Facts of the Week on ICTV.

Sokolova is considered one of the most prominent journalists in Ukraine. In 2012, the magazine Focus placed her at 64th in their list of the 100 most influential women in Ukraine. One of her longtime co-hosts is the journalist Sergei Kudimov.

Early life Oksana Sokolova was born in Cherkasy, the capitol city of the extremely Russified region of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Cherkasy Oblast. Her grandmother, a World War II front-line nurse, survived harrowing conditions, celebrated the victory in Berlin, and lived into old age. Her birth parents divorced when she was six, and though she knew her father’s whereabouts, they never reconciled. Years later, she discovered she had a half-brother, an award-winning physics student, when she recognized their shared rare surname in the news after he won the International Physics Olympiad. Raised in a musically inclined family, she was expected to become a professional pianist like her mother and stepfather, both music educators. During a corporate event held at a hotel, Sokolova was led by senior staff into a separate room under the pretext of receiving a surprise. There, she encountered the editor-in-chief, who made suggestive overtures indicating a sexual proposition. Sokolova began her broadcasting career here, during Ukraine's second presidential election campaign.

Her husband joined the Ministry of Internal Affairs, eventually pursuing further education at the Academy of Internal Affairs. However, by the mid-1990s, salaries in the police force went unpaid, and compensation came in the form of food rations, such as canned goods and grains.

In 1996, she was invited by Oleksandr Tkachenko to join 1+1. However, she approached the offer casually and didn’t take the audition seriously. At the time, she had a young son named Vsevolod, and life in Cherkasy was comfortable. Her mother helped with childcare, she had her own office and program, a service car, and had just received a three-room apartment. Everything seemed stable, so she didn’t feel the urgency to leave. The Poland story earned her praise from her editors. In her view, the role of prosecutor’s office spokesperson and journalist were inherently difficult to reconcile due to their opposing natures. The show quickly became known throughout Ukraine, and even in areas of Russia, for its journalistic ambition and high production standards.

Russo-Ukrainian War During the Euromaidan protests, the Revolution of Dignity, and the onset of the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, Sokolova was one of Ukraine's leading television presenters and editors. She has described this period to other journalists as having a great psychological on her, finding an outlet in planting daffodils and tulips in her back garden. Despite widespread fear in Ukraine, and some colleagues leaving Kyiv, Sokolova remained at her post. She and her team faced the challenges of reporting under conditions of extreme risk, and this was the first time in her career that she was required to purchase protective helmets and flak jackets for herself and her staff while reporting from her own country. Sokolova noted that the individuals involved were reportedly connected to the media sector. Her departure, however, was not impulsive. According to later interviews, Sokolova had long considered a temporary break as a means of professional renewal. Although she had continued working in television production alongside her role as presenter, she expressed a desire for creative change—either by evolving the existing program or by pursuing a new project altogether. She stated that Facts of the Week, in its then-current format, had reached a level of maturity and audience familiarity that prompted her to seek new challenges.

The idea of taking a pause had been discussed with ICTV management prior to her departure. Although identifying a suitable replacement and maintaining the cohesion of the editorial team presented logistical difficulties, Sokolova remained involved in the program remotely during her break.

Since 2020, she has hosted the rebranded Facts of the Week: 100 Minutes. Sokolova has also developed original television formats across different genres.

In 2022, Facts of the Week: 100 Minutes launched a YouTube channel called Oxygen (Ukrainian: Оксиген). The Oxygen channel offers journalism, original perspectives, investigative reporting, and human-centered stories. The debut video, hosted by journalist Maksym Krapivnyi, was about the widespread popularity of Ukrainian pop singer Oleg Vynnyk.

On 16 June 2021, Sokolova received the , presented by Serhiy Korniychuk, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The honor recognized her contributions through media support and reporting related to national defense. Sokolova was commended for her team's journalistic work covering the conflict in eastern Ukraine. According to ICTV, she praised the efforts of war correspondents who reported from active combat zones, military-industrial facilities, and front-line positions in the Donbas region.

ICTV often broadcasts Russian language content, because many of the citizens of Eastern Ukraine grew up speaking Russian. Following the announcement of mobilization in Russia in September 2022, traffic from Russian viewers increased sharply. In the first week after the mobilization order, 46% of total viewership on the Russian-language channel originated from Russia. Comment activity suggested that viewers were genuine individuals seeking alternative perspectives to those provided by Russian state-controlled media. Many expressed skepticism, disbelief, or hostility toward ICTV’s reports. There was a deep contrast between Ukrainian coverage and what Sokolova has referred to as Russian propaganda. However, the level of engagement meant that some Russian viewers were actively questioning the official narrative. The transformation, she explained, was not merely aesthetic but symbolic of deeper personal and emotional shifts brought on by the war and accompanying life circumstances. She acknowledged that the first months of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine were among the most difficult in her life. In addition to the national crisis, she was also coping with family-related issues, including the illness of her parents. Members of the public were also encouraged to make direct donations, starting from 20 UAH, without participating in the draw.

Role as producer From 2007 to 2013, she produced Maximum in Ukraine, a provocative investigative journalism program. Her other work includes involvement in analytical and documentary programming such as Theory of Conspiracy, which began airing in 2019. July, 2023 No right to a double Andriy Mozgovoy, Vladyslav Tomashevskyi Olena Zorina Screened at the 14th Odesa International Film Festival