Russia Holds 28 Ukrainian Journalists and Media Workers in Captivity: The Situation Remains Tense
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Russian Federation continues to detain 28 Ukrainian journalists and media professionals who operate within Ukraine or report on the events happening there.
This was confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Freedom of Speech and Information Policy.
They emphasize that the number of imprisoned journalists and media workers remains unchanged, raising serious concerns within the international community.Officials state that regional offices of human rights organizations and independent media report even more crimes committed systematically against Ukrainian journalists and media workers since the onset of the war.
According to data from the Institute of Mass Information, since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, 841 crimes related to attacks on the information sphere have been recorded: including murders, abductions, and disappearances of journalists.Overall, since the war began, 108 Ukrainian journalists have been killed, 12 of whom were murdered while performing their editorial duties.
Additionally, at least 14 cases of journalist disappearances and 29 incidents of illegal abductions have been documented.
Recently, Ukrainian media have succeeded in returning colleagues from captivity, but such cases remain rare.A recent example of efforts to free Ukrainians from captivity is a prisoner exchange, through which Ukraine managed to release journalist Dmytro Khilyuk from UINAN agency, who had been held in Russian captivity since March 2022 as a civilian hostage.The international community calls for increased pressure on Russia, as only through publicity and persistent struggle can all Ukrainians be brought back home.
Supporting independent media is also crucial to continue highlighting these tragic realities, ultimately ending this war with victory and restoring Ukraine’s freedom and independence for journalists and citizens alike.