346 Lives Lost: Ukraine’s Artists and Journalists Targeted by Russia’s War
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the war has claimed the lives of 232 artists and 114 Ukrainian and foreign media workers.
The Gaze reports on it, referring to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine.
As noted, these figures not only testify to the scale of the losses, but also remind us of the tragic pages of Ukrainian history.
“Just as in the 1920s and early 1930s, the Stalinist regime destroyed a generation of Ukrainian artists, so today Russia is deliberately destroying Ukraine's cultural elite,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications emphasized that Ukrainian artists and journalists are not just professionals, but bearers of national identity, freedom, and creative spirit.
“Once again, we are losing not just talented Ukrainians, but a part of our soul,” the Ministry said.
Separate attention is drawn to the dangerous conditions in which Ukrainian journalists work, documenting the events of the war, collecting evidence of the occupiers' crimes, and covering the exploits of the defenders.
A prominent example of Russian war crimes is the murder of Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchina that was captured by Russians in August 2023 while investigating crimes in Energodar. In October 2024, it became known that she had died in captivity. An examination confirmed numerous signs of torture. She was posthumously awarded the American Oxi Courage Award for her courage and bravery.
Foreign reporters are also suffering from Russian aggression.
As a result of a Russian attack with FPV drones near Druzhkivka in Donetsk Oblast on October 3, 2025, French photojournalist Anthony Lallican was killed and Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko was wounded. Lallican, known for his reports from hot spots around the world, had visited Ukraine several times since 2022, documenting the lives of people in Donbas. He is the third French journalist killed by Russia during the war in Ukraine.
As The Gaze informed earlier, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution calling on Russia to immediately release 26 Ukrainian journalists from captivity and to increase international pressure on those guilty of crimes against the media.