Russia committed 870 crimes against journalists and media in Ukraine - IMI
Kyiv • UNN
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, 870 violations against journalists and media have been recorded. In November-December 2025, the destruction of editorial offices and the prosecution of Ukrainian journalists were documented, as well as the death of two media workers who defended Ukraine.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, 870 violations against journalists and media outlets have been recorded. This was reported by UNN with reference to monitoring data of Russian crimes against freedom of speech, which is maintained by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI).
Details
In particular, in November-December 2025, the Institute of Mass Information documented two such crimes by Russian troops – these include the destruction of editorial offices and the prosecution of Ukrainian journalists held by Russia.
In addition, during this time, the deaths of two media workers who defended Ukraine from the Russian invasion with weapons in their hands became known:
- Kostiantyn Shtyfurak – a soldier, director, and journalist. He joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the summer of 2022 and served as a UAV squad commander. He served in the "Hell Hornets" unit of the 54th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after Hetman Ivan Mazepa.
- Vasyl Khomko – former director of the entertainment show "Orel ta Reshka" (Heads or Tails). He died on October 2, 2025, in battle, covering the retreat of a group. He volunteered for the front in March 2022. For the first two and a half years, he served in the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, and then for almost a year – in the Special Operations Forces.
Thus, since the beginning of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, 121 media workers have died, 15 of them while performing their professional duties.
Damaged media editorial offices
- The premises of the "Suspilne Zaporizhzhia" branch were damaged as a result of a Russian shelling of the city on the night of November 26. The team was not injured – no one was in the premises at the time of the shelling. Part of the building's wall was damaged, and windows were broken. The team is calculating the damage from the attack.
Court verdicts against Ukrainian media workers
- A Russian court sentenced civilian journalist Vilien Temeryanov from Russian-occupied Crimea to 14 years in prison. He was detained in 2022 at his home in the Dzhankoy district of Crimea on fabricated charges of terrorism.
Reference
The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a media public organization that has been operating since 1996. It defends the rights of journalists, analyzes the media sphere and covers media-related events, counteracts propaganda and disinformation, and provides media with protective equipment for assignments to combat zones during the Russian-Ukrainian war since 2014.
IMI conducts the only monitoring of freedom of speech in Ukraine and a list of transparent and responsible online media, documenting Russia's media crimes in the war against Ukraine. IMI has representatives in 20 regions of Ukraine and a network of "Mediabaza" hubs for continuous support of journalists. Among IMI's partners are "Reporters Without Borders," and the organization is also part of the network of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).
Recall
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that since 2022, Russia has killed 135 journalists who covered the truth about the war. He thanked the media community for their work, which puts pressure on Russia.