At Least 121 Ukrainian Journalists Killed Since Start of Russian Invasion
At least 121 journalists and media workers have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
The Gaze informs about it, referring to Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information (IMI).
According to the watchdog, 15 of the victims died while carrying out their professional duties, while others were killed while serving in Ukraine’s armed forces or defending the country in civilian roles.
Among the most recent fatalities are Kostiantyn Shtyfurak, a journalist, filmmaker and serviceman killed at the front, and Vasyl Khomko, a former director of the popular travel television show ‘Orel ta Reshka,’ who was also serving in Ukraine’s defense forces.
IMI said that over three years and ten months of war, Russia has committed at least 870 documented crimes against journalists and media outlets in Ukraine, ranging from killings and abductions to cyberattacks and the destruction of newsrooms.
In November and December alone, the organization recorded two new incidents involving damage to media infrastructure and judicial pressure on Ukrainian journalists held by Russia.
One of those incidents occurred during a Russian overnight strike on Zaporizhzhia on November 26, which damaged the regional offices of public broadcaster Suspilne, shattering windows and partially destroying the building’s walls.
In another case, a Russian court sentenced Vilen Temerianov, a civilian journalist from Russian-occupied Crimea, to 14 years in prison on terrorism charges that IMI described as fabricated. Temerianov was detained at his home in Crimea’s Dzhankoi district in 2022.
IMI’s data show that Russia’s actions against the media include journalist killings (121), disappearances (14), abductions (29), shelling incidents (49), injuries (46), attempted killings (4), threats and intimidation (130), attacks on editorial offices (39), strikes on TV towers (23), cybercrimes (110) and the forced closure of more than 330 Ukrainian media outlets.
Founded in 1996, IMI monitors freedom of speech in Ukraine, documents media-related war crimes, and provides safety equipment to journalists working near the front lines. The organization cooperates with international partners including Reporters Without Borders and is part of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) network.
The findings add to growing international concern over the dangers journalists face while covering Russia’s war against Ukraine, which global press freedom groups say has become one of the deadliest conflicts for media workers in recent history.
As The Gaze previously reported, two journalists from Ukraine’s state international broadcasting network were killed in Kramatorsk after their vehicle was struck by a Russian Lancet loitering munition.
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