The unquestioned assumptions of the discourse of terrorism become problematic when the signifier ‘terrorism’ is employed to represent an armed struggle of ethno-nationalistic groups for independent self-governance. This problem becomes apparent when states respond to separatism by manipulating the fear of terrorism to warrant undemocratic actions in the name of national security. Employing as a case study the post-Maidan confrontation in the East of Ukraine and exploring linked coverage by three political websites, this article debates how the discourse of terrorism has been formed within the public sphere of Ukraine.