Russia holds captive at least 25 journalists – National Union of Journalists

At least 25 Ukrainian journalists are currently being held captive by Russia, according to the President of the National Union of Journalists (NUJU) Sergii Tomilenko.

Journalists detained in the occupied territories since the beginning of the full-scale war are in captivity, and places of detention of Crimean Tatar civilian journalists are also held strongly by Russian agents.

"For example, Vladyslav Yesypenko and Iryna Danylovych, who had been unlawfully detained by Russian occupation authorities in Crimea and are now held in prison," Tomilenko said.

Speaking of the recent cases involving mass media professionals, Tomilenko mentioned Viktoriia Roshchyna, who had gone to the temporarily occupied area while performing her professional duties. Contact with her was lost several months ago.

In March 2022, Roshchyna was already captured by Russian troops and held for ten days in southern Berdiansk. After five days, they released her from captivity.

Окрім того, росіяни утримують в полоні Ірину Левченко, яка висвітлювала події у Мелітополі, Запоріжжі.

Russians are also keeping prisoner Iryna Levchenko, who used to cover the news in the Zaporizhzhia region's Melitopol, occupied since 2022.

Tomilenko recalled Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist from UNIAN news agency, who had been taken prisoner as Russian forces attempted to seize the city of Kyiv and the region. At the moment, he is held in prison abroad.

About 90% of Ukrainian war prisoners faced torture, rape, sexual violence threats, and other forms of inhumane treatment in Russian captivity.