“Russia should be held accountable for war crimes, bloodshed, and the deaths of tens of thousands of people, including journalists and other media workers as a result of its invasion of the territory of Ukraine,” emphasizes the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU).
Today, November 2, is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists. The NUJU calls on the international community to make every effort to punish Russia for crimes against media workers.
On this day, the International Federation of Journalists, which includes the NUJU, calls on governments around the world, journalists and media groups to support the adoption of the new International Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals. Despite numerous protocols, guidelines and proposals adopted at various levels, journalists still face daily threats. Impunity continues to worsen the situation: nine out of every ten murders of journalists go unpunished.
Since the beginning of the full-scale RF invasion of the territory of Ukraine, the occupiers have killed at least 43 media workers. According to the verified data of the NUJU, among the dead are eight journalists who were performing professional duties; 13 media workers were civilian victims; and 22 media representatives who were mobilized for the defense of Ukraine in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“Thanks to journalists, the world knows the truth about the horrors of the war. But a journalist is not a target! We demand safety and protection of the rights of journalists in the frontline territories. This is why we need an international Convention on the Safety of Journalists. Journalists are important! They are important because the truth is important, which without journalists and mass media remains hidden from people. The right to the profession of a journalist must be ensured even during the war!” emphasizes Sergiy Tomilenko, the President of the NUJU.
In the draft UN Convention on the Safety and Independence of Journalists and Other Media Professionals, a separate section is dedicated to the rights of media workers who cover military conflicts and wars.
In particular, the document emphasizes that the states participating in the armed conflict must respect the professional independence and rights of journalists and other media workers. States parties to an armed conflict undertake to create at the legislative level and ensure the implementation of a safe and enabling environment for journalists and other media workers to carry out their work without undue interference from third parties. All parties to an armed conflict must do everything possible to prevent violations of international humanitarian law against journalists and other media workers.
Civilian journalists killed while performing their professional duties
- Yevhen Sakun, a Ukrainian photojournalist of the LIVE publication and a correspondent of EFE, was killed as a result of a missile attack on the Kyiv TV tower on March 1, 2022.
- Brent Anthony Renaud, an American journalist / former correspondent for The New York Times / reporter for The Time / documentarian / winner of the Peabody Award, was shot dead by Russian soldiers at a checkpoint in Irpin on March 13, 2022.
- Pierre Zakrzewski, an Irish photojournalist for Fox News, was killed on March 14, 2022, together with Oleksandra Kuvshynova, when their car came under fire in the village of Horenka, Kyiv Region.
- Oleksandra Kuvshynova, Ukrainian journalist/ spotter / producer of Fox News, was killed on March 14, 2022, together with Fox News photojournalist Pierre Zakrzewski, when their car came under fire in the village of Horenka, Kyiv Region.
- Oksana Baulina, a Russian journalist for The Insider publication / activist of the Anti-Corruption Foundation of Oleksii Navalny, was killed in Russian shelling of Kyiv on March 23, 2022.
- Maksym Levin, ф Ukrainian photojournalist / correspondent for LB.ua and other publications, went missing on March 13, 2022, was found dead near the village of Huta-Mezhyhirska, Kyiv Region, on April 1, 2022. An investigation by Reporters Without Borders reported that he was tortured and executed.
- Mantas Kvedaravicius, a Lithuanian filmmaker / documentary filmmaker, was killed on April 2, 2022 while trying to leave the city of Mariupol, whose life he had been documenting for many years.
- Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, a French journalist for the BFMTV channel, was killed from a shrapnel wound as a result of Russian shelling on May 30, 2022. He was covering the evacuation of the civilian population from the city of Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk Region).
Journalists who was killed not while performing their professional duties
- Dilierbek Shakirov, a Ukrainian journalist for the Navkolo Tebe weekly / member of the House of Hope Charitable Foundation, was shot from an automatic weapon in Zelenivka, Kherson Region, on February 26.
- Ihor Hudenko, a Ukrainian photographer / video blogger, disappeared in Kharkiv during shelling on February 26, 2022, his body was found on February 27, 2022. According to the conclusion of the doctors, his death was not violent.
- Pavlo Lee, a Ukrainian actor / presenter for the Dom TV channel / volunteer, was shot by a Russian military in Irpin, Kyiv Region, on March 6, 2022.
- Viktor Was killedov, a Ukrainian cameraman for the Sigma” TV channel, was killed in Mariupol as a result of shelling of his house on March 11, 2022.
- Oksana Haidar (Red Lady), a Ukrainian journalist and blogger, was killed in shelling by Russian artillery in the village of Shevchenkove, Brovary District, Kyiv Region, between March 11 and 12, 2022.
- Liliya Humianova, a Ukrainian journalist / journalism teacher / head of the artistic department of the Left Bank District House of Children’s and Youth Creativity, was killed as a result of Russian shelling of Mariupol on March 19, 2022.
- Natalia Kharakoz, a Ukrainian journalist / writer in Greek and Russian, was killed as a result of the Russian bombing of Mariupol on March 29, 2022.
- Yevhen Bal, a Ukrainian journalist / writer / veteran of the Soviet submarine fleet / volunteer was killed after being tortured by the Russian military in Mariupol on April 2, 2022.
- Roman Nezhyborets, a Ukrainian media personality / video engineer for the Chernihiv channel Dytynets was killed in the village of Yahidne near Chernihiv in early April 2022.
- Zoreslav Zamoiskyi was a Ukrainian journalist for the publications Hromada Pryirpinnia [Irpin Community] and Information Portal. His body with signs of violent death was found in Bucha, Kyiv Region, on April 13, 2022.
- Valeriya Hlodan, a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism of Odesa Mechnikov National University, was killed while on maternity leave along with her mother and 3-month-old daughter as a result of a rocket attack on Odesa on April 23, 2022.
- Vira Hyrych, ф Ukrainian journalist / Radio Liberty producer was killed as a result of Russian shelling of Kyiv on April 28, 2022.
- Volodymyr Datsenko, a Ukrainian public figure / volunteer / Aidar soldier / journalist for the Road Control Vinnytsia publication was killed during a rocket attack on Vinnytsia on July 14, 2022.
Journalists who was killed during military service
- Serhii Pushchenko, a Ukrainian
artist / culturologist / journalist / military serviceman, was killed in a
battle in the city of Vasylkiv, Kyiv Region, together with his comrades from
the Armed Forces of Ukraine on March 2, 2022.
- Viktor Dudar, a Ukrainian military journalist / fighter of the 80th Airborne Assault Brigade, was killed during the defense of the city of Mykolayiv on March 6, 2022.
- Oleksandr Lytkin, a Ukrainian journalist for the KNK Media, was killed as a result of Russian shelling in the village of Romanivka near Irpin, Kyiv Region, on March 13.
- Oleh Yakunin, a Ukrainian journalist / editor for the Zaporizhzhia city website misto.zp.ua / military serviceman, was killed on March 18, 2022.
- Oleksandr Kotsukon, a Ukrainian journalist / employee of the military press service, fighter of the Azov regiment / student of the department of journalism, advertising and PR technologies at Cherkasy Bohdan Khmelnytskyi National University, was killed during the defense of Mariupol on March 22, 2022.
- Yurii Oliinyk, a Ukrainian cameraman and photographer for Channel 24 / a military serviceman, was killed in battles near Popasna, Luhansk Region, on March 23, 2022.
- Serhii Zaikovskyi, a Ukrainian historian / translator / publicist / serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed near Kyiv on March 24, 2022.
- Denys Kotenko, a Ukrainian journalist / employee of the press service of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, was killed in a battle with Russian occupiers near Kyiv on March 24, 2022.
- Oleksandr Makhov, a Ukrainian journalist for the TV channels Ukraine, Ukraine24, Dom, veteran of the war in Donbas / military serviceman, was killed in battle near Izium, Kharkiv Region, on May 4, 2022.
- Maksym Medynskyi, a Ukrainian journalist / an employee of the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine / lieutenant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed near Kharkiv as a result of artillery shelling by the occupiers on April 29, 2022.
- Yevhen Starynets, a Ukrainian media personality / manager of the Suspilne Cherkasy television and radio company / founder of Suspilne in the Cherkasy Region, was killed in the battle for Popasna on April 30, 2022.
- Kostiantyn Kits, a Ukrainian photographer / videographer for the Lutsk channel Avers / a fighter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed in artillery shelling in Donetsk region on May 17, 2022.
- Roman Zhuk, a Ukrainian photographer / videographer from Mukachevo / one of the founders of the volunteer project Chysto.de / a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed on May 26, 2022.
- Vitalii Derech, a Ukrainian journalist / correspondent of Ternopil publications / junior sergeant / commander of the Armed Forces anti-tank division of the 1st Separate Special Forces Brigade named after Ivan Bohun, was killed as a result of an airstrike near Popasna, Luhansk Region, on May 28, 2022.
- Oleksii Chubashev, a Ukrainian journalist / war correspondent / author and host of the program for the military Rekrut.UA / ex-director of Armiya FM, was killed during the defense of Sievierodonetsk on June 10, 2022.
- Abdulkarim Gulamov (Karim), a Ukrainian journalist / TV presenter of the M2 channel / military serviceman, was killed probably under fire on July 17, 2022.
- Mykola Rachok, a Ukrainian journalist / author of materials and news editor of the InfoCar publication, was killed in a battle with the Wagner military company troopers on July 21, 2022.
- Oleksii Yurchenko, a Ukrainian journalist / operator of the Priamyi TV channel / serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed half the time of the liberation of Balakliya, the Kharkiv Region, on September 8, 2022.
- Dmytro Shipovskyi, a Ukrainian TV and film cameraman, in recent years cooperated with Privat TV: Kharkiv and the Al Jazeera TV channel / a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed under mortar fire from the Russian occupiers near the village of Druzhba, Donetsk Region, on September 21, 2022.
- Yurii Leliavskyi, a Ukrainian journalist / television personality / captain of the Armed Forces of Ukraine / head of the public relations service of the 80th separate airborne assault brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed in a battle with Russian invaders on September 28, 2022.
- Serhii Silkin, a Ukrainian media personality / former sound engineer of Suspilne Ivano-Frankivsk / fighter of the 10th separate mountain assault brigade, was killed in a battle near Bakhmut, Donetsk Region, on October 17, 2022.
- Vasyl Yavorskyi, the director of the TV channels Pershyi Zakhidnyi and Espresso / a soldier of the 103rd separate brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was killed as a result of artillery fire on October 21, 2022.
