RSF: Over 100 journalists have been injured in Russia’s full-scale war

Over the past two years of full-scale war against Ukraine, more than 100 Ukrainian and foreign journalists accredited in Ukraine have been affected by Russian aggression.

Rubryka reports that the international organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RSF) lists 11 journalists who died while on duty, with two reporters dying in 2023 and nine more in 2022.

At least 35 journalists were injured while working on the front lines during attacks on TV towers, media offices, or hotels.

Two Ukrainian journalists are considered missing in Russia. Among them is journalist Viktoria Roshchina, about whom there has been no information since August 2023.

Another journalist, Dmytro Khyliuk from the "UNIAN" news agency, is missing.

At least 12 journalists have been detained by the Russian occupiers. In particular, Russians are holding freelance journalist Iryna Danylovich, who collaborated with several Crimean media outlets.

Since February 24, 2022, according to the Institute of Mass Information, 233 Ukrainian media outlets have been forced to shut down.

Over the past two years, RSF has filed eight complaints about war crimes simultaneously with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, as well as two complaints with French courts. Within the framework of these complaints, RSF documented more than 50 attacks on over 100 journalists.

Information about captured Ukrainian journalists

Among the latest media workers detained by the Russian occupiers is Viktoria Roshchyna, who went to perform her professional duty in the temporarily occupied territory and lost contact several months ago.

In March 2022, Roshchyna was already captured by Russian occupiers and held for ten days in Berdiansk. Five days later, the occupiers released her from captivity.

Russians are also holding hostage Iryna Levchenko, who covered events in Melitopol and Zaporizhzhia.

Dmytro Khyliuk, a journalist for the "UNIAN" news agency, was taken captive during Russia's attempt to occupy Kyiv and the Kyiv region. As of today, he is being held in one of the prisons in Russia.

Back in May this year, Ukraine's Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets reported, in response to a question about any progress in the release of UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khyliuk from Russian captivity, that all efforts made by the Ukrainian authorities, personally by him and other state authorities of Ukraine, have not shown a positive result.