In the first six months of the war in Ukraine, Russian forces have killed a total of 37 journalists, eight of whom died in the course of their work. Another fourteen have been injured and four are considered missing.
This statement was originally published on imi.org.ua on 24 August 2022.
In half a year of the full-scale war, Russia has committed 435 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine. These are the monitoring data collected by the Institute of Mass Information.
As of August 24, the Russian military has killed a total of 37 journalists in Ukraine. Of them, eight journalists were killed in the course of their work.
Another 14 journalists have been injured.
Four journalists are still considered missing: three from Mariupol and UNIAN journalist Dmytro Khylyuk, who disappeared in Kyiv oblast while it was occupied by the Russians.
According to IMI, the Russian military has killed eight journalists while those were carrying out their professional duties. Three of them were Ukrainians and five were foreign citizens, two being women and six men.
1. Yevhen Sakun, LIVE channel cameraman, deceased on March 1 in a Russian missile strike on a TV tower in Kyiv.
2. Brent Renaud, former The New York Times correspondent, Time reporter, shot by the Russians on March 13 at a checkpoint in Irpin.
3. Pierre Zakrzewski, Fox News cameraman, deceased on March 14 in a Russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv oblast.
4. Oleksandra Kuvshynova, Ukrainian fixer and journalist, deceased on March 14 together with Pierre Zakrzewski in a Russian shelling attack on Horenka village, Kyiv oblast.
5. Oksana Baulina, journalist for the Russian outlet The Insider, Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, deceased on March 23 under Russian artillery fire in Kyiv.
6. Maksym Levin, photo reporter, war correspondent. Worked with many international agencies and Ukrainian media outlets, went missing on March 13, found murdered on April 1.
7. Mantas Kvedaravicius, Lithuanian filmmaker and documentarist, murdered in Mariupol.
8. Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, journalist for the French channel BFMTV, killed by a Russian shelling attack on an evacuation vehicle on May 30 in Luhansk oblast.
29 media workers were killed as combatants or by Russian shelling, not in the course of their journalistic work.
In July, journalist Oleksandr Savochenko, who had gone to defend Ukraine as a volunteer at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, was killed in a battle near Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast). Before the full-scale war, Oleksandr Savochenko worked as a journalist in Kyiv: first at STB, then at the AFP news agency, and later at Suspilne. He made analytical reports, in particular about the economy and politics.
1. Oleksandr Lytkin, “KNK Мedia” journalist, deceased on February 13 in a shelling attack on Romanivka village by Russian troops;
2. Dilerbek Shakirov, civillian journalist working for “Navkolo tebe” informational weekly, shot with an automatic rifle on February 26 in Kherson suburbs
3. Serhiy Pushchenko, graphic artist and painter, culturologist, Honored Artist of Ukraine, National Journalists Union of Ukraine member, award-winning journalist, volunteer and ATO veteran, killed on March 2 in Vasylkiv together with his territorial defence comrades;
4. Viktor Dudar, war journalist, deceased on March 6 in a battle with Russian invaders near Mykolaiv;
5. Pavlo Li, actor, “Dom” channel host, joined territorial defence forces at the beginning of the war, deceased on March 6 near Irpin while helping evacuate civillians;
6. Viktor Dedov, “Sigma” channel cameraman, killed on March 11 in Mariupol as a result of a shelling attack on a building;
7. Oleh Yakunin, Zaporizhzhia misto.zp.ua website editor, deceased on March 18 defending Ukraine from Russian invaders;
8. Lilia Humyanova, journalism tutor and the head of the art department of Livoberezhny District House of Children’s and Youth Creativity, killed on March 19 in a Russian shelling attack on Mariupol;
9. Yurii Oliynyk, Channel 24 cameraman, deceased on March 23 in a battle near Popasna village, Luhansk oblast;
10. Serhiy Zaikovskyy, essayist, historian, translator, deceased on March 24 in a battle with Russian invaders near Kyiv;
11. Denys Kotenko, Ministry of Veterans Affairs press office employee, deceased on March 24 in a battle with Russian invaders near Kyiv;
12. Yevhen Bal, journalist, author, volunteer, died under torture at the hands of Russian troops on April 2 in Mariupol;
13. Roman Nezhyborets, Chernihiv’s “Dytynets” channel video engineer, killed by Russian troops in April in Yahidna village near Chernihiv;
14. Zoreslav Zamoiskyy, body with signs of violent death found on April 13 in Bucha.
15. Vira Hyrych, RFE/RL journalist, killed in a Russian shelling attack on Kyiv on April 28.
16. Oleksandr Makhov, journalist for Ukraine, Ukraine 24, and Dom TV channels, killed by shelling on May 4. Donbas war veteran. Went back to the frontline with the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression in 2022.
17. Natalia Kharakoz, died in Mariupol under a Russian blockade. Journalist, author, member of NUJU and the National Union of Writers of Ukraine, head of “Azovye” literature club.
18. Yevhen Starynets, former manager of Suspilne’s Cherkasy branch, killed on April 30 in a battle for Popasna (Luhansk oblast).
19. Maksym Medynsky, communications officer, serviceman, died tragically while defending the country.
20. Oksana Haydar (pseudonym Ruda Pani), killed by a Russian artillery strike on Shevchenkove village, Brovary district, Kyiv oblast, between March 11 and 12.
21. Kostyantyn Kits, Lutsk’s “Avers” channel cameraman, killed on the frontline defending Ukraine.
22. Ihor Hudenko, video blogger, found dead in Kharkiv on February 27, proclaimed biologically dead by doctors. According to the doctors, the death was not violent. Ihor Hudenko was buried on April 7 by the state burial service.
23. Vitaliy Derekh, Ternopil journalist and UAF serviceman, killed in action on May 28.
24. Roman Zhuk, photographer and videographer from Mukachevo, killed in the war with Russia in May.
25. Oleksiy Chubashev, war correspondent, author and host of military program “Recruit.UA,” former head of Armiya FM, and UAF serviceman, killed on the frontline on June 10.
26. Volodymyr Datsenko, journalist of the “Road Control Vinnytsia” NGO, volunteer and defender of Ukraine, killed by a missile strike on Vinnytsia on July 14.
27. Karim Gulamov, presenter for the musical TV channel M2 and UAF serviceman, killed on the frontline.
28. Mykola Rachok, InfoCar journalist, defender of Ukraine, killed on the frontline.
29. Oleksandr Savochenko, journalist, volunteer, killed in action near Bakhmut (Donetsk oblast).
During the sixth month of Russia’s war against Ukraine, IMI recorded cases of attacks on journalists, threats, access blocking, seizure of media offices, and distribution of Russian propaganda under Ukrainian brands.
Journalists of the Donbas Frontliner and Ukrainian Witness projects came under Russian shelling in the Donbas. The journalists of both projects believe that the fire was targeting them. In total, IMI has recorded 25 cases of Russian attacks on journalists.
Ukrainian media continue to receive threats from Russians via email, although the number of threats has decreased. The “Volyn Online” website received yet another batch of threats from russia about the “Banderite junta” and the supposed responsibility for its activities.
The occupiers took over the editorial office of the local newspaper “Mayak” in Beryslav (Kherson oblast) and began publishing their propaganda under its brand.
In Volnovakha (Donetsk oblast), which has been temporarily captured by the Russian occupiers, the Russians have stolen the brand of the Ukrainian newspaper “Nashe Slovo” and are issuing it to spread their propaganda. The real “Nashe Slovo” stopped printing with the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine. The entire editorial staff have left the occupied territory, except for one colleague who died.
In addition, russia has blocked access to Ukrainian online media Poltavska Khvylia (due to a publication with a tutorial on making a Molotov cocktail) and Kherson media outlet Most for Russian users. According to “Most” editor Serhiy Nikitenko, the Russians primarily restricted access for residents of the temporarily occupied Kherson oblast.
Since the beginning of the Russian federation’s large-scale invasion, at least 215 broadcasters, online and printed media (national, regional, and local) have ceased their activities in whole or in part due to hostilities and occupation. These are mostly regional media outlets from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Khmelnytsky, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Luhansk, and Chernihiv oblasts.
Murders – 8 (37)
1. Live TV cameraman dies during shelling of Kyiv TV tower
01.03.2022 Live TV cameraman Yevheniy Sakun was killed in the shelling of a TV tower in Kyiv on March 1.
The report on the death of the TV channel worker was later confirmed by the National Police, according to Novyny.LIVE.
“Now we have a personal account with the invaders,” Yevheniy Sakun’s colleagues wrote. Novyny.LIVE editorial staff expresses their sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.
As IMI has reported, on March 1, Russian troops shelled the Kyiv TV tower; the channels had temporarily gone off air as a result.
The Shevchenkivsky District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv has launched a criminal investigation into the shelling attack on Kyiv TV tower, which resulted in the death of several people (violation of the laws and customs of war) (Part 2 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
2. Russian terrorists kill journalist Brent Renaud in Irpin
13.03.2022 In Irpin, near Kyiv, the Russian invaders shot dead ‘The New York Times” correspondent Brent Renaud and wounded another journalist. This was reported by Kyiv Police Chief Andriy Nebytov.
“Today, a correspondent working for the world-famous ‘New York Times’ was shot dead in Irpin. Another journalist was wounded. Now the victim is being taken away from the combat zone. Naturally, the journalist’s profession involves some risks, but the US citizen Brent Renaud paid the price of his life for trying to cover the villainy, cruelty, and ruthlessness of the aggressor,” Andriy Nebytov wrote.
According to the Okhmatdyt Hospital’s spokeswoman Anastasia Magerramova, the injured journalist, American citizen Juan Diego Herrera Arredondo, 46 years old, was conscious. The man received a shrapnel wound in his thigh. He was operated by Okhmatdyt medics. He does not know of his colleague’s fate yet. The last thing he remembers is Brent Renaud being shot in the neck at a russian checkpoint.
3. Photojournalist Max Levin killed by Russian troops – Prosecutor’s Office
02.03.2022 Photojournalist Maxim Levin, who had gone missing while carrying out his journalistic duties in March in the Kyiv region, was found dead. This was reported to the Institute of Mass Information by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
“The journalist’s body was found in the village of Huta Mezhyhirska in Vyshhorod district. According to preliminary information, Maxim Levin, unarmed, was killed by the russian armed forces personnel, shot twice from a light weapon,” the report reads.
The police found the photojournalist’s body on April 1.
The Vyshhorod District Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal proceedings for violation of laws and customs of war (Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
According to LB.ua, where Max had worked for a long time, he and Oleksiy Chernyshov, a serviceman and formerly a photographer, went to document the outcomes of Russian aggression. The fate of Oleksiy Chernyshov is currently unknown.
Max Levin is survived by four underage sons, a wife and elderly parents.
As IMI reported, photojournalist Maxim Levin went missing on the frontline in the Vyshhorod district outside Kyiv, where he was performing his professional duties and covering the war. The last time he was in touch was on March 13.
Maksym Levin was born in 1981 in Kyiv region. He had worked as a photojournalist, documentary photographer and cameraman for many Ukrainian and international publications, had collaborated with Reuters, BBC, TRT World, Associated Press, LB.ua, Hromadske. His photos were published by such publications as the Wall Street Journal, TIME, Break.
4. Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova killed by Russian troops near Kyiv
15.03.2022 Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova was killed in an artillery shelling by Russian troops in Horenka village, Kyiv region. Fox News cameraman, Irish citizen Pierre Zakrzewski, was killed with her. The adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Herashchenko reported this incident.
IMI has got a photo of a badge issued to Oleksandra Kuvshynova by Fox News.
Fox News have also covered their cameraman’s death in their story. According to the channel, Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova were working with correspondent Benjamin Hall. They had been in the car when Russians fired upon them.
The day before, on March 14, it became known that Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall had been wounded in the leg while filming a report near Kyiv.
According to Herashchenko, a part of Benjamin Hall’s thigh has been amputated.
