280 crimes against the media committed by russia since the start of the full-scale war

According to the Institute of Mass Information, russia has committed 280 crimes against journalists and the media in the three months of the full-scale war against Ukraine. 

As of May 24, the russians have killed 29 journalists, 7 of whom were killed in the line of duty. 9 journalists have been wounded and at least 15 are missing. 9 journalists have been abducted. 

Three Ukrainian and four foreign journalists were killed in the line of duty:

• Yevhen Sakun, TV LIVE cameraman (died on March 1 in a russian missile strike on a TV tower in Kyiv)
• Brent Renaud, documentary filmmaker and former New York Times reporter (shot by russians on March 13 at a checkpoint in Irpin)
• Pierre Zakzewski, Fox News cameraman, Irish citizen (died on March 14 in a russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv region)
• Oleksandra Kuvshynova, Ukrainian fixer, journalist (died on March 14 together with Pierre Zakrzewski in a russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv region)
• Aksana Baulina, journalist working for the russian The Insider, Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (died on March 23 under russian artillery fire in Kyiv while carrying out an editorial assignment)
• Maksym Levin, documentary photo journalist, (went missing on March 13, found murdered on April 1)

• Mantas Kvedaravicius, Lithuanian documentary filmmaker (killed in Mariupol)

Killed in the Ukrainian Armed Forces or as civilians while not performing their journalist duties: 

• Oleksandr Lytkin, dtp.kiev.ua journalist (killed on February 13 in a shelling attack on Romanivka village by russian troops)
• Pavlo Li, voiceover actor, Dom TV channel host, (killed on March 6 near Irpin while helping to evacuate civilians with the Territorial Defense)

• Serhiy Pushchenko, National Journalist Union of Ukraine member, Honored Artist of Ukraine, author of the project “Kobzar on the Front” (killed on March 2 in Vasylkiv together with his territorial defence comrades) 

• Dilerbek Shakirov, civillian journalist working for Navkolo Tebe informational weekly (shot from an automatic rifle on February 26 in Kherson suburbs)

• Viktor Dedov, Sigma TV channel cameraman (killed on March 11 in Mariupol as a result of a shelling attack on a building)

• Viktor Dudar, journalist with Expres newspaper (killed on March 6 in a battle with russian invaders near Mykolaiv)

• Lilia Humyanova, journalism teacher (killed on March 19 in a russian shelling attack on Mariupol)

• Yurii Oliynyk, Channel 24 cameraman (killed on March 23 in a battle near Popasna village, Luhansk region)

• Oleh Yakunin, misto.zp.ua and Afisha.zp website editor (killed on March 18 defending Ukraine from russian invaders)

• Serhiy Zaikovskyy, essayist, historian, translator (killed on March 24 in a battle with russian invaders near Kyiv)

• Denys Kotenko, Ministry of Veterans Affairs press office employee (killed on March 24 in a battle with russian invaders near Kyiv)

• Yevhen Bal, journalist, author, volunteer, member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and National Union of Writers of Ukraine (died as a result of torture by russian troops on April 2 in Mariupol)

• Roman Nezhyborets, Dytynets TV channel video engineer (killed by russian troops in April in Yahidna village near Chernihiv)

• Zoreslav Zamoiskyy, freelance journalist (body with signs of violence found on April 13 in Bucha)

• Vira Hyrych, RFE/RL journalist (killed in a russian shelling attack on Kyiv on April 28)

• Oleksandr Makhov, journalist for Ukraine, Ukraine 24, and Dom TV channels (killed by shelling on May 4 while serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

• Natalia Kharakoz, journalist, writer, member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine and the National Union of Writers of Ukraine (died in Mariupol under russian blockade)

• Yevhen Starynets, former manager of Suspilne’s Cherkasy branch (killed on April 30 in a battle for Popasna, Luhansk region, while serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

• Maksym Medynsky, communications officer (died while defending the country in the Armed Forces of Ukraine)
• Oksana Haydar, journalist, blogger known as Ruda Pani (killed by a russian artillery strike on Shevchenkove village, Brovary district, Kyiv region, between March 11 and 12)

• Kostyantyn Kits, Lutsk Avers channel cameraman (killed while serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine). 

• Ihor Hudenko – photographer, video blogger (died in Kharkiv a non-violent death) 

Also, at least 113 regional media outlets have been forced to suspend their activities due to threats from the russian occupiers, seizure of news offices, inability to work under temporary occupation and to print newspapers, and so on. Media outlets have closed in the Donetsk, Zakarpattia, Luhansk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Kherson, Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia regions and Kropyvnytsky city.

IMI also recorded 50 cases of intimidation and harassment of journalists and the media and 32 cyber-attacks.  

For the full list of crimes against the media, follow this link. 

Photo: ІМІ