Journalism under siege: The deadly reality of reporting from the front lines in Ukraine

2025-05-03 15:35:00, Aktualitet CNA

Journalism under siege: The deadly reality of reporting from the front lines in

Vira Hyrych had worked as a producer for the Ukrainian Service of Radio Free Europe until April 28, 2022, when a Russian missile hit her home in Kiev, killing her.

She is one of dozens of journalists who have been killed in Ukraine since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the neighboring country in 2022.

In Ukraine, tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the three-year war.

Among them, at least 117 media workers have lost their lives during Russian attacks in Ukraine, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

One of them was Viktoria Roshchyna, a former correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Ukrainian Service who died in 2024 while being held captive by Russia. When the 27-year-old's body was returned to Ukraine last year, it showed signs of torture and was missing internal organs, according to reports.

Other journalists have been victims of attacks and violence during the conflict.

According to the Institute for Mass Information (IMI), a Kiev-based non-governmental organization that aims to protect the rights of journalists, Moscow has committed nearly 830 crimes against journalists and media organizations in Ukraine. In addition, at least 30 media workers are currently in custody in Russia.

Many journalists face serious risks when reporting from areas on the front lines.

Radio Free Europe journalist Yevhenia Kytaiva-Rusetska was recording an interview with a Ukrainian soldier when a Russian missile exploded near them, seriously injuring the soldier.

Emotional importance

The war has also taken an emotional toll on those who have experienced the scale of human suffering.

Maryan Kushnir, a Radio Free Europe journalist who has covered fierce fighting, said that "war is like watching your house burn and you can't do anything. After three years, I'm tired of this war, I don't want to film it anymore."

Financial survival is also a serious challenge for Ukrainian media during the war.

Russia has attacked television towers, carried out cyberattacks, and destroyed media infrastructure and offices.

According to IMI, these have contributed to 332 media organizations being closed since February 2022, making it even more difficult for journalists in Ukraine to cover the war.

Other media organizations have had to choose between financial survival and editorial independence. As of 2022, many Ukrainian media outlets are increasingly dependent on grants to survive, as traditional sources of funding have shrunk.

Despite these major obstacles, Ukrainian journalists, like Maryan Kushnir, continue to show resilience, but many of them also say they are physically and emotionally exhausted./REL