Freedom of Speech Barometer for October 2024
The Institute of Mass Information experts recorded 41 freedom of speech violations in Ukraine in October, according to the monthly IMI monitoring “Freedom of Speech Barometer”.
Russia's crimes (26 cases) inlcuded murder, firing at and injuring journalists, damaging media offices, threats, cyber attacks, legal pressure, and media outlets closing down due to the war.
The death of two media professionals were reported in October:
- Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian custody. Her death was reported on October 10, 2024. According to the letter sent to her family by Russia's Ministry of Defense on that day Victoria died on September 19. Her name had been on the swap lists. The police reclassified the case opened previously over Roshchyna's disappearance as a war crime involving premeditated murder.
- Oleksiy Andreyev, an army serviceman and TV cameraman from Mariupol. He was buried in Chernivtsi on November 2, 2024, having been previously assigned missing in Bohdanivka (Donetsk oblast, Bakhmut district) on November 29, 2023.
Donbas.Realii correspondent Roman Pahulych suffered a concussion after coming under Russian fire near Bakhmut, Donetsk oblast, along with the cameraman Pavlo Kholodov. The two were filming the work of FPV operators when the Russian troops targeted the Ukrainian positions with barrel artillery.
Freedom of Speech in Ukraine in October 2024
"Gvara Media" journalist Denys Klymenko came under Russian fire in Kharkiv oblast while working with the "Khartia" brigade near Lyptsi village. No one was injured and everyone survived.
The Holos Hulyaipillya office was affected by a Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia. The aerial bomb (KAB) attack damaged the team's computer equipment as well.
The Russian troops damaged a TV tower in Lozova (Kharkiv oblast) with drones, causing glitches in national broadcasting.
The Detector Media website was targeted in a DDoS attack, which caused glitches in the website's operation. The team believes the attack was triggered by their reporting on the Russian special services trying to recruit Ukrainians on Telegram to set fire to military vehicles.
Dnipro media holding "Vidkrytyi" shut down due to the impact of the war. The channel's owners decided to cease operations until Ukarine's victory in the Russo–Ukrainian war.
Russia’s FSB opened cases against more journalists who have reported from Sudzha for alleged illegal border crossing:
- France 24 journalist Catherine Norris Trent;
- reporter for the Swiss media holding "CN Media" Kurt Pelda.
Russian courts also passed judgements in cases against foregin and Ukrainian journalists:
- arresting the journalists for Italy’s RAI (Russia had earlier opened cases against them over Sudzha reports);
- sentencing Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova to eight years in prison, convicting her of inciting international hatred:
- arresting Romania's HotNews journalist Mircea Barbu.
Multiple national and regional media outlets and journalists received identical emails with bomb threats. Such letters arrived to several Suspilne branches, Ukrainian Pravda, Detector Media, LIGA.net, Poltavska Dumka, Kremenchutska Hazeta, Syla Pravdy, etc.
The emails list the Radio Liberty journalists whom the senders blame for the supposed terrorist act. These are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars. The senders asked to give all the credit to "the terrorist group Fire Cells Group". The police checked all the buildings where bombs were said to have been planted and said that the threats were false and came from Russian IP addresses.
The IMI also recorded 15 freedom of speech violations not related to Russia's war on Ukraine. These included cases of physical violence (beatings, assault, obstruction), indirect pressure (financial pressure, stalking), and cyber attacks.
Journalists were assaulted in Cherkasy and Lviv oblast. Cherkasy-based journalist and Antenna TV director Valeriy Vorotnyk was beaten by UOC MP parishioners as they stormed the St. Michael's Cathedral. The parishioners attacked him, leaving numerous bruises on his body.
Ukrainian Pravda reported continuous systematic pressure on the team and its individual journalists from the President's Office. The teem sees it as a threat to their sustainable work: speakers being blocked by the authorities from talking with UP journalists and participating in their events; pressure on businesses to stop buying advertisements in Ukrainian Pravda.
Courts in Kyiv and Zhytomyr interfered with reporting on hearings. For instance, a Kyiv court forbade Watchers.Media journalist Alina Kondratenko to use her phone to take photos of the defendants and their lawyers during an open hearing. The judge insisted that the journalist had to file a petition. The journalist pointed out that the prohibition contradicted the memo on the media's rights in open hearings that hanged in the courtroom where it was happenning. She never received permission to take photos throughout the entire hearing.
In Zhytomyr, a judge banned Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) journalist Nadia Chuchvahi from recording a hearing on audio. Judge Boleyko, who argued that the journalist should not record the hearing on her phone, said that some information spoken during the trial may harm law enforcement officers and participants in the litigation. Audio recording was allowed later.
"20 Khvylyn" journalist Iryna Belyakova filed a statement with the police due to harassment: an unidentified user posted photos and videos of her walking around the city under her Facebook post. The journalist believes that she is being deliberately stalked and that this has to do with her reporting. Proceedings have been initiated under Part 1 of Article 182 'Violation of privacy".
UNIAN and Kherson's MOST suffered cyberattacks. The MOST team believes the attack was triggered by a series of reports on the construction of underground schools in the city. Furthermore, several Kropyvnytskyi media outlets (Hrechka, Tochka Dostupy, CBN) received a phishing letter posing as the SBU.
Read the full monitoring below:
RUSSIA'S CRIMES
Murder – 1
1. Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna dies in Russian detention
10.10.2024 Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, said that he had official documentary confirmation of the death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna from Russia's side.
He announced this on October 10 on Telegram.
"Once again, a person whose detention in a prison in Russia has been confirmed by the ICRC dies in Russian captivity! Why the young woman died in Russian detention is unclear," he wrote.
He reminded that Victoria went missing in Ukraine's TOT in August 2023. In September of the same year, Roshchyna's family appealed to the authorities with a request for a search. The Commissioner's Office also received an appeal from the family. It was as late as May 2024 that Russia confirmed that she had been detained and was kept in Russia. There was also confirmation from the ICRC.
Lubinets reported Victoria's death to the UN and the ICRC so that they would record the death of a civilian unlawfully detained by the Russian Federation.
"Unlawful detentions and abductions of journalists are Russia's weapon against freedom of speech! Russia has once again violated the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. The international community must put pressure on Russia so that all perpetrators are brought to justice!" the Commissioner wrote.
The death of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna in Russian detention was reported on October 10, 2024. The news of her death was confirmed by Petro Yatsenko, a representative of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence, reported that Victoria Roshchyna had been on the prisoner swap lists.
Earlier, Russia admitted detaining Victoria Roshchyna, who had gone missing on August 3, 2023 in the temporarily occupied territory. Victoria was held in Russia.
Injuring journalists – 1
1. Radio Liberty journalist concussed after coming under Russian fire in Donetsk oblast
10.10.2024 A filming crew with the "Donbas Realii" project (Radio Liberty) came under fire on October 10 while filming the soldiers in Donetsk oblast near Bakhmut, reports the news outlet.
Correspondent Roman Pahulych and cameraman Pavlo Kholodov were filming the work of FPV operators when the Russian troops targeted the Ukrainian positions with barrel artillery.
The first shell fell next to the war reporter Roman Pahulych and the soldiers he was talking to. Roman Pahulych suffered a contusion (aquabarotrauma), two soldiers received minor injuries; the debris did not hit the cameraman Pavel Kholodov. All the victims were taken to a stabilization point and given first aid.
As Roman Pahulych said, the ballistic protection of the neck area on his body armor stopped one of the projectile fragments.
Currently, there is no threat to the lives of the injured soldiers and crew members.
Firing at journalists – 1
1. Gvara Media journalist comes under Russian fire in Kharkiv oblast
18.10.2024 "Gvara Media" journalist Denys Klymenko came under Russian fire in Kharkiv oblast on October 18, Denys reports to the Institute of Mass Information representative Valentyna Troyan.
According to Denys, he came under fire while working with the "Khartia" brigade near Liptsi village.
"We were in the infantry positions, and as I was recording an interview with a soldier, they started shelling the forest where we were, which lasted for about an hour. The video actually shows several shells falling near the trench where we were sitting," the journalist said.
He added that no one was injured and everyone survived.
"It was probably the first heavy shelling I came under, it was scary, but everything ended well," said Denys.
The journalist added that they were noticed by a Russian drone that night and the shelling started again.
"We walked about 15 km that day overall, and as we were already leaving the positions along with some soldiers at night, we were noticed by a Russian drone and the shelling began again – this moment didn't make it onto the recording – about four shells whistled over us and fell nearby, but luckily no one was hurt and we reached the safe zone unscathed," said Denys Klymenko.
Damaging media offices – 1
1. Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia damages "Holos Hulyaipillya" office
12.10.2024 In Zaporizhzhia, as a result of the Russian attack on October 12, the editorial office of the newspaper "Golos Gulyaipillya" was damaged, chief editor Tetyana Velyka reported on Facebook page and shared details with the Institute of Mass Information representative Natalia Vyhovska.
"Another KAB strike on Zaporizhzhia this night affected the office rented by the newspaper 'Holos Hulyaipillya'. The enemy damaged the workspace of our team badly," she wrote.
She added that the computer equipment, which had been previously transported out of a combat area, was also damaged.
The editors are looking for a new place to continue their work. According to Tetyana Velyka, this is the second time the team is looking for a new office.
The first such time was when the team had to leave their office in Hulyaipole back in March 2022.
"Still, we are not giving up, we are working on the next October issue of the newspaper and we are working diligently, recording all the crimes by the disgraceful Putin regime! In the meantime, we are cleaning the office and sorting out our thoughts!" wrote the chief editor.
As Tatyana Velyka, said to the IMI representative, the office is being renovated.
"We rented an office in Zaporizhzhia. At the moment, specialists are working there, installing windows and a ceiling, that is, they are putting everything in order," she said.
According to her, two computers were damaged in the attack, so the editorial office currently needs assistance in purchasing new ones.
Threats – 14
1. Chernivtsi journalist receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 Chernivtsi-based journalist Maria Bodnarashek (news outlet "0372") received an email with bomb threats, similar to those received by multiple other media and journalists, the 0372 communications manager Anna Sotska reports to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Chernivtsi oblast, Alyona Chorniy.
According to her, the email seems to have been automatically translated and says that the building has been mined and could be blown up shortly. The sender mentions that the "terrorist group Fire Cells Group" is to blame for the terrorism.
"Good afternoon, we received information about a possible terrorism threat which may pose a danger to your life. I told you that you will not inspect the house well, soon I will activate the explosive device!! It was in the ceiling! Allah akbar!", the email said.
In the comment to the IMI representative, Maria Bodnarashek said that she was not scared upon receiving the bomb warning because she was busy and did not know about the identical messages that arrived to other newsrooms. The team responded to the email by contacting the police.
"Despite the fact that similar letters have already been sent to other journalists, we played it safe and called the police. They told us that there had been a lot of such emails and they were also sent to the police every now and then. Everything is being checked and nothing has been confirmed," said Anna Sotska.
2. Zaporizhzhia’s 061.ua receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 The Zaporizhia media outlet 061.ua received bomb threats on October 14, as reported to the Institute of Mass Information by the outlet’s journalist Elmira Shahabudtdynova.
The letter is similar to those received by other media. In the letter, "Fire Cells Group representative Assaliuk Oleksandr Vitaliyovych" lists three Radio Liberty journalists as the ones to blame for the "bombings".
As reported earlier, multiple Ukrainian media outlets received bomb warnings to their corporate inboxes on October 14. The letters list the Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for the possible bombings. The sender asks to place all responsibility on "the terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The journalists in question are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, released on October 8.
3. Kremenchutskyi Telegraf receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 "Kremenchutskyi Telegraf" (Poltava oblast) received bomb threats via email on October 14, as reported to Nadia Kucher, the IMI representative in Poltava oblast, by the chief editor Lesya Lazarenko.
According to Lazarenko, the office received two letters with threats.
"The letters arrived at the editorial inbox, but the business day ended at 6:00 p.m. That's why I only received them today at 9 a.m.," said the editor.
The letter mentioned bombs being planted in the offices of RBC-Ukraine and the Ukrainian Radio Liberty service, as well as the US Embassy.
As reported earlier, multiple Ukrainian media outlets received bomb warnings to their corporate inboxes on October 14. The letters list the Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for the possible bombings. The sender asks to place all responsibility on "the terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The journalists in question are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, released on October 8.
4. PTV.ua channel host receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 PTV.UA channel host Oleksandr Krumin received bomb threats via email on October 14, which he reported to Nadia Kucher, the IMI representative in Poltava oblast.
According to the journalist, the letter claimed that bombs had been planted in his house and office, not listing either address. The sender mentioned the Radio Liberty journalists Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, whom they ask to blame for the terrorist act.
"On October 14, the day of the mass ‘bombing’ of state buildings, I saw this letter in my spam folder. Noteworthily, my full name is listed, but the addresses of the house and office where ‘bombs have been planted’ are not. I did not contact the police because I understand that this is a fake threat through spam mail. I take note of how actively the Russian Federation is waging a hybrid, namely informational, war against us," Oleksandr Krumin said.
5. Poltavska Dumka receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 The newspaper "Poltavska Dumka" received bomb threats via email on October 14, as reported to Nadia Kucher, the IMI representative in Poltava oblast, by the chief editor Diana Strashko.
According to Strashko, the email mentioned that bombs had been planted in the buildings of the Radio Liberty office and the Ministry of Finance as well. She added that the email came from a user named Oleksandr Vitaliyovych Assauliuk.
As reported earlier, multiple Ukrainian media outlets received bomb warnings to their corporate inboxes on October 14. The letters list the Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for the possible bombings. The sender asks to place all responsibility on "the terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The journalists in question are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, released on October 8.
6. Ukrainian Pravda receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 The online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda received bomb threats via email on October 14, as reported on their website.
As reported earlier, multiple Ukrainian media outlets received bomb warnings to their corporate inboxes on October 14. The letters list the Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for the possible bombings. The sender asks to place all responsibility on "the terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The journalists in question are Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, released on October 8.
7. Detector Media receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 The online news outlet Detector Media received bomb threats via email on October 14, as reported on their website.
The letter that arrived in the "Detector Media" inbox claimed that the sender had planted explosives in the office building and intended to blow it up. The sender wrote that explosives had been planted in the offices of RBC-Ukraine and the Ukrainian Radio Liberty service, as well as the US Embassy, the Ministry of Finance, and the Verkhovna Rada.
The author of the letter, who introduced himself as Oleksandr Assauliuk, asks that the "terrorist group Fire Cells Group" be considered responsible for the bombs.
The letters mention Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for terrorist attack.
8. LIGA.net correspondent receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 LIGA.net journalist Volodymyr Fomichov receiving bomb threats to the media outlet's corporate inbox on October 14, which he reported on Facebook.
"The wannabe terrorists mentioned our colleagues from Radio Liberty: Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, as the people to blame. And I actually think there is a reason for this. Valeria, Ira and Yulia recently released a large investigation into Russia's GRU recruiting our citizens and asking them to blow up military vehicles for a small payment," Fomichov said.
He assumed that in this way the authors of the email want to intimidate the active citizens.
"So that nothing prevents the Russians from damaging the vehicles of our soldiers, so that we do not draw the attention of our compatriots to this and they may continute to recruit them in peace. This is just my guess, but maybe it's true," Fomichov added.
9. Suspilne Rivne receives bomb warning
14.10.2024 The Rivne branch of the National Public Broadcasting Company "Suspilne Rivne" received a warning about a bomb attack. The staff were evacuated, and an hour later it was reported that no explosive devices had been found in the building.
Suspilne Rivne manager Lyudmyla Khoma reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Rivne oblast, Hanna Kalaur.
According to Khoma, the bomb warnings first began to arrive at Suspilne branches in other oblasts.
“I told the chief editor to keep a close eye on the inbox. At 15:59, I believe, he called me and said he got a message. I called the police and gave an order to evacuate the staff," Lyudmyla Khoma said.
She added that the police had already carried out all the work in the branch's office and found no explosive devices. According to Lyudmyla, such messages are part of Russia's information and psychological warfare.
"This is an informational and psychological war, this is an attempt to destabilize the situation, this is pressure on everyone overall. There were over 30 such warnings in our city today and the emergency services were practically overloaded. People are emotionally exhausted and upset by this. This is much more than obstruction of reporting. This is a component of hybrid warfare. I am sure that this is what our enemy is doing," commented Lyudmyla Khoma.
The Suspilne journalist Hanna Kalaur, who is also the IMI representative in Rivne oblast, also received two warnings about a bomb allegedly planted in the building. Hanna Kalaur works in the Suspilne Rivne office.
Both letters have many spelling errors, their author provides a list of the buildings they claimed to have mined. They say that their goal is to kill the journalists who are there. The sender also blames the journalists Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk, who are the authors of the Radio Liberty investigation into the FSB's recruitment of Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, for the bombs.
"Good afternoon, I want to inform you about the possible terrorism threat which may affect your personal safety," is how one of the letters opens.
Suspilne Rivne reports a total of 33 building mining claims in the oblast today. These include state, educational, and healthcare facilities. According to Maria Yustytska, the oblast police spokeswoman, the first such reports began to arrive at approximately 1:00 p.m.
10. Khmelnytskyi-based journalist Alyona Bereza receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 Alyona Bereza, a journalist with the Khmelnytskyi media outlet Zhar.Info and the Institute of Mass Information representative in Khmelnytskyi oblast, received an email with bomb threats.
According to her, she received two such letters – at around 1:00 p.m. and at 4:00 p.m. Both emails have dubious sender addresses and the text has spelling errors and looks as if it was translated automatically. The sender asks to place all responsibility on the "terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The Khmelnytskyi oblast police received a total of nearly 50 reports about bombs planted in various facilities. These includd: state institutions, educational institutions, communal and private companies, reported Inna Hleha, the chief of communications at the Khmelnytskyi Oblast National Police HQ, to Suspilne Khmelnytskyi.
According to her, the letters started arriving to the institutions' emails at lunchtime.
11. "Syla Pravdy" journalist receives bomb threats
14.10.2024 Valentyna Kuts, a journalist at the Lutsk Center for Investigative Journalism "Syla Pravdy", received an email with a threat to blow up the building. The email mentions Ukrainian journalists whom the sender blames for the terrorist attack.
Valentyna Kuts reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Volyn oblast, Maya Holub,.
The journalist said that she received the letter today, October 14, to her personal inbox, which she uses for work. The email arrived from the address <[email protected]> and was signed as Zalozetska Yavdokha Sarmativna. The sender asks to place all responsibility on the "terrorist group Fire Cells Group".
The letter mentions the threat of an act of terrorism that would endanger people's lives. The sender claims to have made a high-quality explosive device which they plan to activate during the busines day.
In the emails, the sender blames three journalists for the planted bomb: Iryna Sysak, Valeria Yehoshyna, and Yulia Khymeryk. These journalists are the authors of the new Radio Liberty investigation into Russia's FSB recruiting Ukrainian children to set fire to UAF cars, which was released on October 8.
12. Ukraine's International Multimedia Broadcasting Platform receives bomb warnings
14.10.2024 Today, October 14, the state-owned International Multimedia Broadcasting Platform of Ukraine received emails saying a bomb had been planted on the company's premises, the company's press service reported to the Institute of Mass Information.
The threatening emails were sent to the company's official email address from different mailboxes, but contain the same text and signature.
In addition to threats about planted bombs and explosions, the emails also contained signs of incitement to religious enmity and mention several Ukrainian journalists who do not work at the company.
The MBPU staff was evacuated from the potentially mined office.
All information about the event has been handed over to the police. The law enforcement agencies and emergency services are working on the ground.
"Dim TV" and FREEDOM TV broadcast as scheduled.
The SE International Multimedia Broadcasting Platform of Ukraine includes FreeDom, Dim, UATV English, UATV Arabic, UATV Español, and The Gaze.
13. "Pershyi Kryvorizkyi" team receives a bomb warning as well
14.10.2024 The online news outlet "Pershyi Kryvorizkyi" (Kryvyi Rih) received a bomb warning to their editorial email, the outlet's executive director Sofia Skyba reported to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, Olha Vasylets.
According to her, the email arrived at 12:42. The team currently works in a hybrid format (part in the office, part remotely), so the threat did not affect the work of the team.
The police and first responders immediately contacted the media office over the possible bomb threat.
"From the words of the police and the emergency workers, we understood that there had been multiple such calls. I'm not a security expert, but we've seen these kinds of reports over the past five years, in waves. Sometimes bombs were 'planted' at shopping malls, then schools, then somewhere else. I think it could well be the Russians, but it could also be some domestic affair. The email does not mention our team. Even though we understand that this is most likely a campaign aimed to scare people throughout the country, it is still disturbing to receive such messages," said Sofia Skyba.
The email mentions Ukrainian journalists who do not work with the media outlet.
The Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council chair Mykola Lukashuk responded to the bombing emails. He wrote on Telegram that the Oblast Council had received a call about a planted bomb, but the threat was not confirmed.
"Today we have witnessed destabilization attempts throughout the country such as fake reports about bombs planted in state institutions and local self-government bodies. The purpose of this is to disrupt the operation of important structures in the country and to sow panic among the people," Mykola Lukashuk wrote.
14. Suspilne Cherkasy receives bomb warning
14.10.2024 The Cherkasy branch of Suspilne received a bomb warning to their corporate inbox, the branch's manager Vita Kayuk reports to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Cherkasy oblast, Yelena Shchepak.
According to her, the email claimed that explosives had been planted in TV channel's office.
"It also said that if this information was not taken into account, innocent people and property would suffer," Kayuk added.
After receiving the email, Vita Kayuk contacted the central Suspilne office and called the police. The channel's staff left the premises. The police are already working on the spot.
"This is the first such warning during the full-scale invasion," adds the Suspilne Cherkasy manager. "This affects the team psychologically, plus we are forced to break away from our work, which is extremely important now."
She says that the team continues to operate. One of the filming crews is away on assignment, the digital department works remotely. "Everyone is looking for a network access point to keep working," adds Vita Kayuk.
Shelling TV towers – 1
1. Russian drones damage a TV tower in Lozova
30.10.2024 The Russian troops damaged a TV tower in the Lozova district of Kharkiv oblast with drones on October 30, causing glitches in national broadcasting, reports Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration chair Oleh Synehubov on the national telethon.
The Russian army was shelling Kharkiv oblast with guided aerial bombs and Shaded drones throughout the night and morning.
"There was a Shahed strike on the Lozova district at night, which resulted in the damage of the TV tower and temporary limitations in our national television broadcasting. Restoration work has already begun," Synehubov said.
He added that Kharkiv oblast is still under constant fire and that the October 30 strikes affected multiple districts of the oblast, including the city.
Cyber attacks – 1
1. "Detector Media" website under DDoS attack
16.10.2024 The "Detector Media" website is being targeted in a DDoS attack, the team reports on Facebook.
The editors note that the website is working with interruptions and that their technicians are working on resolving the problem.
"Detector Media" website editor Halyna Sklyarevska said in a comment to the IMI that the team could not be sure what exactly prompted today's attack.
"There have been three to four dozen such attacks per year during the war, some larger, some less in intensity. However, recently we, like other media, received threats about a bomb planted in our office, and we believe these threats to be connected with the DM Research Center reporting on the Russian special services trying to recruit Ukrainians on Telegram to set fire to military vehicles," said Halyna Sklyarevska.
She added that in her opinion, today's attack was also related to this reporting.
Legal pressure – 5
1. FSB opens case against France 24 journalist for reporting from Kursk region
07.10.2024 Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened a case against the France 24 TV journalist Catherine Norris Trent, reports Mediazona.
Another case was opened against the reporter for the Swiss media holding "CN Media" Kurt Pelda.
They are being charged with illegally crossing Russia's border (Part 3 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
The prosecution was triggered by the journalists filming reports in Kursk region after the Ukrainian Armed Forces had established control over the area.
2. FSB opens case against Swiss journalist for reporting from Kursk region
07.10.2024 Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has opened a case against the reporter for the Swiss media holding "CN Media" Kurt Pelda, reports Mediazona.
Another case was opened against the France 24 TV journalist Catherine Norris Trent.
They are being charged with illegally crossing Russia's border (Part 3 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
The prosecution was triggered by the journalists filming reports in Kursk region after the Ukrainian Armed Forces had established control over the area.
3. Russian court arrests Italian journalists with RAI TV in absentia for reporting from Sudzha
08.10.2024 The Leninsky District Court of Kursk (Russia) arrested cameraman Simone Traini and correspondent Stefania Battistini (RAI TV, Italy) in absentia. Previously, cases were opened against them for reporting from Sudzha for the program TG1, reports Mediazona, citing the press service of the Kursk region court.
Both were charged with illegally crossing Russia's border (Part 3 of Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
According to the FSB, Battistini and Traini "along with other unidentified persons" entered the Kursk region from Ukraine on August 6 to film a report on the developments in the area during the UAF incursion. Journalists came to Sudzha "on a Ukrainian Armed Forces vehicle," says the statement by the press service of the court.
According to the FSB, similar cases have been initiated against 14 foreign journalists since August 17.
Earlier, the FSB put cameraman Simone Traini and correspondent Stefania Battistini (RAI TV, Italy) on the wanted persons list over alleged illegal border crossing. The prosecution was triggered by the journalists’ reports from Suzha, Kursk region, during the UAF incursion aimed to fight off the aggressor.
4. Russia sentences Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova to 8 years in prison in absentia
14.10.2024 The Basmanny District Court of Moscow (Russia) sentenced Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova to eight years in prison in absentia, reports Mediazona, citing the Moscow prosecutor's office.
The court convicted her of inciting international enmity (Clause A of Part 2 of Article 282 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, "acts aimed at inciting hatred and enmity, as well as humiliating the dignity of a group based on nationality, committed publicly through the use of the Internet and involving violent threats").
As reported by the media outlet, the case includes two episodes. The first one was Sokolova's interview with "Great Lviv Speaks" of the Ukrainian TV channel NTA in the summer of 2022. The Russian prosecutor said that the journalist "justified violence against Russians" in her speech.
Russia's Investigation Committee chair Alexander Bastrykin demanded in August 2022 that a case against Sokolova be opened. At that time, Russian pro-war Telegram channels posted a July 30, 2022 excerpt of the program, where Sokolova said that the Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine should not be taken prisoner.
The second episode was in the episode of the program "Evening with Yanina Sokolova" which was released on December 10, 2022. The Russian investigation claims that the journalist made a public statement that "incites contempt" and "justifies violence" against Russians. The video, which was titled "Rocket strike on Moscow. Dog bombs. Putin's body double" is currently unavailable.
In August 2023, the Russian MIA declared Ukrainian journalist Yanina Sokolova wanted. In March, the Rosfinmonitoring added Sokolova to the list of "terrorists and extremists".
We remind you that Yanina Sokolova is a Ukrainian journalist, TV presenter, author of the show "Rendez-Vous" on Channel 5 and the host of her own YouTube project "Evening with Yanina Sokolova".
5. Russian court arrests Romanian journalist in absentia for reporting from Sudzha
25.10.2024 The Lenin District Court of Kursk (Russia) arrested Romania's HotNews journalist Mircea Barbu in absentia. The judgement was passed at the request of the regional FSB branch's border guard department, reports Sota Project.
The court specified that Mircea Barbu had entered the territory of the Suzha district (Kursk region) "with other unidentified persons" to film a report.
In a comment to RFE/RL's Romanian service, Mircea Barbu said that he had been unaware of his arrest in absentia, but "given the current climate, this is unsurprising."
"I expected a response from the authorities, especially considering that I reported on the situation in Kursk on the ground without hiding it. Putting me on the international wanted list for covering the frontline situation in Kursk says a lot about the Russian authorities' attitude to information about this war. It's an attempt to intimidate me, but it won't stop me from doing my job. Namely, in Ukraine, on the front lines, as I have done so far," he said.
Despite the Russian court's verdict, Mircea Barbu said that he would continue to monitor the developments and report on the ground.
“If that means I have to pay more attention to my security and digital footprint while on the ground, then I will. If they detain me, it definitely won't stop me just because the Russians want it," the journalist concluded.
As reported earlier, Russia's Federal Security Service opened a case against Mircea Barbu in late September 2024. He was charged with illegally crossing the border and filming near Sudzha.
Media outlets shutting down – 1
1. Dnipro media holding "Vidkrytyi" closes down due to the war
31.10.2024 Dnipro media holding "Vidkrytyi" is shutting down due to the impact of the war. The channel's owners decided to cease operations until Ukarine's victory in the Russo–Ukrainian war, reports the director Natalia Babachenko to Olha Vasylets, the Institute of Mass Information representative in Dnipro oblast.
"The main reason why we are stopping broadcasting is the consequences and impact of the war. Our owners decided to close down the TV channel until the victory. Now we are collecting the equipment, preserving all the devices with a thought to resume the channel's work after our victory," Natalia Babachenko said.
"Vidkrytyi" had a television broadcasting license, so now the channel is preparing a letter to the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting, saying that they are ceasing broadcasting.
Earlier, the IMI reported that "Vidkrytyi" would run until October 31, 2024.
According to Natalia Babachenko, when they learned that the TV channel was closing down, they started looking for employment for one another and applying to the media outlets in the oblast. The team consists of 20 people. Some of the media professionals have already had job interviews with other outlets, says the director.
"Vidkrytyi" has been speaking since 2018. The media holding includes a TV channel, a website, and a press center. According to the ownership structure, the project has two ultimate beneficiaries, namely Serhiy Pavlovych Kasyanov and Mykhailo Anatoliyovych Koshliak. According to YouControl, Kasyanov is a founder or beneficiary of 47 companies. According to the Chesno Movement, he ran for the Verkhovna Rada in 2002 and 2006. According to YouControl data, Koshlyak is the CEO, founder, or beneficiary of 26 companies. He is also a deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Council, according to the movement's website.
THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH SITUATION IN UKRAINE FOR WHICH UKRAINE'S CITIZENS ARE RESPONSIBLE
PHYSICAL AGGRESSION
Beatings, assault – 2
1. Sambor journalist reports attack by two men
09.10.2024 Sambor-based journalist Yuriy Leskiv reports attempted physical assault on him due to his journalism.
The incident took place on September 26 in Sambor (Lviv oblast); the journalist posted about it on Facebook and shared the details with Valentyna Troyan, an Institute of Mass Information representative.
According to Yuriy, two unknown young men attacked him and demanded that he stop reporting on the work of the mayor and some City Council officials.
"Two young men overtly and openly tried to commit physical revenge against me, all while shouting obscenities and demanding I stop writing about the work of the mayor and some Sambor City Council officials. After I started recording them on video, which was a surprise for them, the two athletic young men quickly started moving away, covering their faces. However, one of them suddenly changed his mind and decided to resort to threats and assault again," the journalist wrote, adding two videos of the incident.
Leskiv believes the attack had to do with his reporting, namely Facebook posts alleging large-scale embezzlement by some local officials, corruption, and rude remarks about Sambor residents by officials.
"I associate this open revenge attempt with the series of posts concerning the mayor Y. Hamar, the head of the city's executive committee M. Petryk, and E. Kvas, CEO of the Sambor utility company 'Objednane' who is now on trial," the journalist added.
The journalist publicly addressed the police regarding the incident.
In his comment to the IMI representative, Yuriy Leskiv said that the police had identified the attackers, but had not entered the data into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations. The journalist contacted the prosecutor's office.
"I contacted the police the same day. And they say: first we need to identify the attackers. Because I asked, 'Will you open proceedings, enter the data into the register?' And they said, 'First we will identify them.' I waited. There was no response from the police," Leskiv said.
A week later, the police informed him that they had identified the attackers thanks to the CCTV footage.
"They identified their car, identified the people. Even brought them to the crime scene for a reenactment. And the story they tell is is that they were traveling from Lviv through our city to Prykarpattia, to a village, to the mountains, to drink mineral water, because one of them has diabetes. They say they didn't like that I was filming them, which is why they expressed their indignation in this way," Yuriy Leskiv recounted his conversation with the police.
The journalist added: he told the police that the men knew his last name and urged him not to write about specific people. He is sure that the attack was premeditated and does not rule out that the conflict could have ended in a fight.
According to the journalist, the police saw no corpus delicti in the incident and no grounds for entering the data into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations. "I asked them, 'Why didn't you enter the information?' And they said, 'Do you see a corpus delicti here?' And I say, 'I see not just a corpus delicti, I see that the crime was commissioned,'" the journalist recounted.
Yuriy Leskiv is a board member of the Lviv oblast branch of the National Union of Journalists and the chief editor of Plastovyi Shlyakh.
2. UOC MP parishioners beat journalist while storming Cherkasy cathedral
21.10.2024 Cherkasy-based journalist and Antenna TV director Valeriy Vorotnyk was injured during the storming of the St. Michael's Cathedral in the morning of October 17.
The journalist reported this to Yelena Shchepak, the Institute of Mass Information representative in Cherkasy oblast.
"I did not interfere, I was standing aside and filming the ROCians breaking into the cathedral premises. One of the priests gave the order to attack me and started pushing. The parishioners, about 10 people, started beating me with sticks and metal pipes. The priest also participated," Valeriy said.
He hays the attackers beat him on the back, head, and face. Now he has numerous bruises. He adds that the armed police officers in uniform did nothing to address what was happening. Instead, it was a local deputy and two dialogue police officers who came to his rescue and chased away the hooligans.
"The aggression was coming from Theodosius's flock (UOC MP Metropolitan – Ed.)," stresses the TV director. "They were led by priests as their street commanders. Elderly women and men acted as a crowd, and this created problems. An old lady with a multi-kilogram stick in her hand can injure or kill a person. This is very unfortunate. I was wearing a corset under my jacket because I have a hernia. This corset may have protected my back, there was no significant injury there. But there are reinforcements on the corset to keep it in shape, those are totally crushed. The zombified parishioners were chasing not only me, but any person with a camera deliberately."
Not only the journalist's body, but his equipment was also damaged. He has already sent his professional camera worth UAH 80–90 thousand abroad for repair.
Valeriy Vorotnyk said that he decided not to contact the police about the incident. The press service of the Cherkasy Oblast National Police HQ told the IMI representative that they had not received any such statements.
On October 17, the congregation of St. Michael's Cathedral joined the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. After that, the building was stormed twice: first, parishioners of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate broke into it, and later in the afternoon, the OCU regained control. Stacks of Russian literature were discovered in St. Michael's Cathedral, including the book "Project Russia".
Obstruction of legal reporting – 5
1. Blogger Nicholas Karma faces obstruction in Poltava. Police opens case
05.10.2024 Blogger Nicholas Karma reported on Instagram that someone had put a gun to his neck on the evening of October 5 in Poltava. This happened during a conflict between the journalist and several men regarding a question he had asked about the UAF. In the comments, subscribers indicate that the man in the video was an enlistment office representative.
"I heard a group of men gathering outside, shouting my name and various obscenities and saying that they were going to get some hype. They weren't filming it on their camera. After my interview was over, they came over and said they wanted to ask a few questions. I refused, because I had already heard enough of what they think about me, I didn't want to give them content," said Nicholas Karma in the video.
According to the blogger, the group of men asked him about his attitude to the UAF. "I was silent in response. They continued to film me and my cameraman. I shared my stance, which is that everyone should be working in the army or for the army. But this was not enough for them. My cameraman was replugging his equipment and, unfortunately, he did not film these moments," the blogger said.
Nicholas Karma then decided to approach the group of men and speak to them while filming on his phone for future evidence. “When I approached this man, I wanted him to show his face to my camera. But his friend ran up behind me and put a gun to my neck. He threatened the eyewitnesses, the people who were there, whom I don't know, with the gun, too," the blogger said.
Some followers pointed out in the comments that the man in the video looks like the enlistment office representative Oleksandr Lohvynenko.
Roman Istomin, the spokesman of the Poltava oblast enlistment office, told Suspilne that the head of the district office, Oleksandr Lohvynenko, was out in the city with his family on October 5.
"He noticed a man who was approaching women and asking them various provocative questions. In turn, he also decided to approach and ask the man two simple questions: his attitude to the UAF and military service. He said that he was a UAF. It's all in the video. Then he left. There was no conflict on the part of the officer. But the blogger ran up to him from behind, grabbed him by the shoulder and began to openly argue while using physical aggression," the spokesman said.
According to Roman Istomin, the video shows that the enlistment office representative had no gun, but another citizen had an object resembling one, which only appeared in the frame after force was used against the UAF officer.
"The police have already checked this object – it was not a combat pistol and there was no threat to the life and health of the blogger at all," Istomin added.
The Poltava police opened a case on hooliganism following the conflict between blogger Nicholas Karma (real name Mykola Buchak) and two men, one of whom allegedly threatened him with a gun, reports the National Police.
According to the police, the conflict took place in downtown Poltava. The law enforcers learned about it from the locals on October 6. The parties to the conflict have already been identified. The gun, similar to a starter, was seized and handed over for examination.
A case has been initiated under Part 4 of Article 296 (Hooliganism committed with the use of firearms or any other thing specially adjusted or prepared in advance to cause bodily injury) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The defendant faces three to seven years in prison.
Nicholas Karma is a Ukrainian blogger and singer from Lviv oblast. He became famous after his series "How much for the look", where he asks passers-by and celebrities how much their clothes cost.
2. Kyiv court forbids Watchers.Media journalist to take photos during open hearing
17.10.2024 On October 17, the Dnipro District Court of Kyiv forbade Watchers.Media journalist Alina Kondratenko to use her phone to take photos of the defendants and their lawyers during an open hearing.
Kondratenko reported this on Facebook and shared the details in a comment to the Institute of Mass Information.
She says that judge Inna Omelyan first insisted that the journalist had to file a petition.
"Interestingly enough, the judge insisted that I answer her questions from the podium in the center of the courtroom, not from my seat. The judge smirked and repeated three times: 'Slowly and clearly state your name.' Even though those who know me also know that I enunciate clearly," said Alina Kondratenko.
She noted that the judge forbade her to take photos despite the memo on the media's rights in open hearings that hangs in the courtroom where it was happenning.
"For whom was the memo then? The lawyer of one of the defendants commented: 'Street fences also have writings on them,'" the journalist added.
She noted that the case was about the former deputy prosecutor of the Obolon district of Kyiv, Ilona Kluge, and the former Kyiv police investigator Vitaliy Matyusha, who are accused of unlawfully prosecuting Mykola Pasichnyk, a Revolution of Dignity activist.
Alina Kondratenko noted that she never received permission to take photos during the entire hearing.
Volodymyr Zelenchuk, a lawyer at the Institute of Mass Information, notes that reporters can take photographs, film videos, and take audio recordings using portable devices (such as mobile phones) in the courtroom without obtaining a separate permission from the court and without the court asking the parties in the trial if they think filming is appropriate.
"Of course, if we are talking about livestreaming or stationary equipment, then a permission from the court is required. This is clearly stated both in Part 4 of Article 11 of the Law 'On the Judiciary and the Status of Judges' and in Part 6 of Article 27 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The fact that judges ignore these laws raises a number of logical questions: is the judge aware of this provision of the law, does the judge deliberately act contrary to this provision, does this suggest that a judge may be biased in favour of one of the parties to the proceedings, etc.," the lawyer said.
He stressed that such cases negatively affect the authority of the judiciary.
"It so happened that it is the Supreme Council of Justice that is supposed to take action to ensure the authority of the judiciary and the independence of judges, in particular, by investigating and checking cases of improper behavior of judges," added Volodymyr Zelenchuk.
3. Zhytomyr judge tried to ban MIHR journalist from recording hearing on audio
18.10.2024 On October 17, the judge of the Bohunsky Court of Zhytomyr banned Media Initiative for Human Rights (MIHR) journalist Nadia Chuchvahi from recording a hearing on audio, reports the MIHR.
The hearing was about high treason allegations: the defendant was being charged with leaking data on the location of a military award ceremony in Dobropillya (Donetsk oblast) to Russia.
Judge Boleyko, who argued that the journalist should not record the hearing on her phone, said that some information spoken during the trial may harm law enforcement officers and participants in the litigation.
However, as the MIHR notes, Part 6 of Article 27 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on publicity and openness of court proceedings stipulates that everyone in the courtroom can keep a transcript, take notes or use a voice recorder.
The journalist read aloud her request for permission to take photos and film videos.
After returning from the deliberation room, the court announced their verdict and declared that the right provided for in Part 6 of Article 27 of the Criminal Procedure Code was not absolute: due to the risks to the prosecutor and his family, the defendant and her underage children, the court did not grant the permission. The judge also noted that the journalist had not provided proof of her mandate, but added that she was allowed to record audio.
In a comment to the Institute of Mass Information, journalist Nadia Chuchvahi pointed out that the court did not seem to understand the importance of war-related trials on national security.
"And, of course, sometimes it feels strange to be answering questions such as, 'What makes you interested in this trial?', 'Why did you come to listen to it?' or 'Why would you report on it? We don't want you reporting on it.' And the insulation of the courts poses, let's say, a risk for justice," Chuchvahi said.
The lawyer of the Institute of Mass Information, Volodymyr Zelenchuk, notes that, first, the publicity and openness of the court proceedings and the right to record trials concern every person, not just journalists.
"That is why a journalist does not have to prove their status as a journalist to the court or to the parties of the trial in order to be able to record the hearing," the lawyer notes.
Secondly, according to him, if the prosecutor or any other participant in the hearing believes that sensitive or confidential information may be disclosed during the hearing, they have the right to request a hearing behind closed doors.
"If the meeting is held openly, then it being recorded by the people present cannot harm private or public interests. I note that the prosecutor is a civil servant and represents the interests of the society/state during the process," Volodymyr Zelenchuk notes.
He added that although at first glance the law may contain somewhat contradictory provisions regarding video recording and photography without the court's approval, audio recording on a portable device is undoubtedly one of the recording methods that require no such permission.
"This type of recording is allowed by the law, not by the court, and therefore asking the parties to the trial for their opinion and banning audio recording are a step beyond the limits of the procedural law and even a breach of it," Volodymyr Zelenchuk said.
4. Dnipro journalist barred from attending a City Council session
24.10.2024 Journalist Oleksandr Slavnyi was barred from attending the October 22 Dnipro City Council session. Slavnyi reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Dnipropetrovsk oblast Olha Vasylets.
According to him, he had notified the City Council in advance that he would attend the session.
"The day before, a City Council representative called me and told me where to go and what time. They took me to the first floor of the City Council and told me that there is an award ceremony underway, which I could watch online. It would be followed by the restricted part of the session, and then I would be able to attend the open part. Later I saw that the deputies were starting to leave the building. I concluded that the session was over and a City Council representative confirmed it to me", said Oleksandr Slavnyi.
According to the journalist, he had questions for the Propozytsia deputies Yevheniy Kryvosheyev and Serhiy Pustovoy, the European Solidarity deputy Kamil Primakov and the OPFL deputy Yuriy Korobov. Another question touched on whether the City Council session would discuss reducing the Council's PR expenditures.
The Dnipro City Council press office representative Darya Mizikina told the IMI representative that they only would be able to comment on the incident after a query.
Oleksandr Slavnyi contacted the police and the data he provided was entered into the unified register of pre-trial investigations under Article 171 of the Criminal Code, "Preclusion of the legal professional work of journalists". The journalist posted an excerpt from the register on Facebook.
Slavnyi said that he planned to publish his reports on his social media unless a news website takes interest in them.
Oleksandr Slavnyi previously worked on the TV channel Vidkrytyi, as well as Region TV, which began to change in 2018: for instance, the name changed to D1. "Detector Media" called the changes "pre-election transformation" in their analysis of the Dnipro media landscape. Since then, the TV channel has been opposing the city government and sympathetic to a group of Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov's opponents. There is a dedicated article discussing the confrontation on the IMI website.
Activists of the "Money to the UAF" movement were also barred from attending the City Council session along with Slavnyi. According to Slavnyi, not allowing journalists, activists, and representatives of the community in general, to be present at the session was an order by the City Council leadership, their general stance.
As the IMI reported earlier, that police uncovered a city budget embezzlement scheme in Dnipro, which caused the loss of at least 34 million hryvnias. The scheme invloved fictitious media services for the Dnipro City Council.
5. Poltavshchyna and Zmist say City Council forbade directors of utility companies to talk to the media
31.10.2024 The media outlets Poltavshchyna and Zmist say that acting mayor Kateryna Yamshchykova and mayor's first deputies forbade the directors of Poltava utility companies, in particular those subject to the Poltava City Council's Department of Housing and Communal Affairs, to talk to journalists. They also report that information queries from the media remain unanswered.
Poltavshchyna released an article saying that "we are forced to report that the communication between journalists and the heads of the city executive committee's structural units has deteriorated and regressed to the level of Oleksandr Mamay's time in office" (when there was practically zero communication with journalists. – Ed.).
"In August 2024, the authorities divided the journalistic community into 'friends' and 'enemies'. This became evident during Kateryna Yamshchykova's annual, but for some reason, secret report, which the media were invited to hear either based on friendship or on commercial terms. The practice of media appearances being planned and controlled started to spread to the heads of structural units and communal enterprises almost right away," Poltavshchyna says in their statement.
The editors noted that contrary to Kateryna Yamshchykova's promises to hold regular media briefings with these officials, they can only be seen on the paid-for TV broadcasts in Poltava.
"Along with a small pool of permanent government speakers, they are mostly representatives of the parties 'Servant of the People' and 'For the Future'," remarks Poltavshchyna.
The media outlet also says that utility company representatives do sometimes attend briefings, but only if they have to: "to put out the media fire. This was the case in August, when a toll rate raise was being discussed, or in response to the criticism of obvious overcharging at traffic lights in October."
"Poltavshchyna was still able to receive some information from other officials or deputies, but in most cases they asked not to mention their names for fear of their bosses," the statement reads.
Zmist reported a similar situation. "On October 31, we tried to ask Taras Panasenko, the head of the Housing and Communal Affairs Department, and Volodymyr Cherednychenko, the Poltava's specialized deputy mayor, about the progress in the project Poltava Remembers Its Heroes. The officials said that they would not give any comments to ZMIST journalists. Similar stories with refusals, secret reports, delaying query responses are the routing of our media. It was never easy to receive comments, but now it is clear: there is a ban from the city authorities," the editors noted.
The Acting Mayor of Poltava and City Council Secretary, Kateryna Yamshchykova, denied the reports by Poltavshchyna and Zmist about communal enterprises being forbidden to talk with journalists.
INDIRECT PRESSURE
Financial pressure – 1
1. Ukrainian Pravda reports systematic pressure from the President's Office
09.10.2024 Ukrainian Pravda claims they have faced continuous systematic pressure on the team and its individual journalists from the President's Office. The media outlet released an editorial statement on their website on October 9.
Ukrainian Pravda reminded that the outlet's values since its conception in 2000 have been editorial independence, objectivity, and the ability to speak the truth freely.
However, now the team see a threat to their sustainable work due to the following actions:
- "speakers being blocked by the authorities from talking with UP journalists and participating in their events;
- pressure on businesses to stop buying advertisements in Ukrainian Pravda;
- President Volodymyr Zelensky's overtly emotional communication with the Ukrainian Pravda journalist Roman Kravets, which we all witnessed live."
"These and other non-public signals point to attempts to influence our editorial policy. This realization is especially outrageous amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when our joint struggle for both survival and democratic values is crucial," the statement reads.
The editors stress that Ukrainian Pravda works to "deliver the truth and serve the interests of Ukrainian society." And the free choice of topics and persons to cover is an integral function and right of any independent media outlet."
"We officially declare that every attempt by certain senior officials from the President's Office to influence Ukrainian Pravda journalists will be publicly reported and lead to consequences at the international level. Each such attempt only boosts our motivation to expose corruption and inefficient management in the highest echelons of the government," the statement reads.
Later, the UP reported that it was Dmytro Lytvyn, the communications adviser to the President of Ukraine, who was blocking speakers from talking to Ukrainian Pravda journalists and participating in their interviews and events.
On October 8, the Institute of Mass Information released a mini-interview with the Ukrainian Pravda chirf editor Sevgil Musaieva, who said that the OP was calling advertisers and asking them not to buy advertisements in the UP.
Stalking journalists – 1
1. "20 Khvylyn" journalist contacts police over stalking
21.10.2024 "20 Khvylyn" journalist Iryna Belyakova filed a statement with the police due to harassment: an unidentified user posted photos and videos of her walking around the city under her Facebook post.
The journalist reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative Iryna Nebesna.
On October 17, Iryna Belyakova made a Facebook post which prompted a discussion between her and her colleagues and acquaintances of the false reports about media professional Vitaliy Antoniuk being killed in combat. An unidentified user posted shared photos and videos of the journalist taken in the city streets in the comments to the post.
Iryna Belyakova believes that she is being deliberately stalked.
"In the photos and videos shared under my post, I am withdrawing cash from an ATM, then walking down the street and checking my phone. Nothing to worry about, it would seem, but the footage was taken in different locations, so 'accidentally getting in the frame' is out of the question. If you look at the videos, it could not have been taken by surveillance cameras: it was done by an individual person from a specific location and probably with some purpose. Judging by my clothes, it was filmed back in the summer. So I have a question: who filmed it and why? What other so-called content does that person have? Where else will these photos and videos be posted? What will be the next leaked video and what limit can the author reach in this absurdity?" she said.
The journalist had contacted the police and reported covert filming, stalking and harassment, which she believes has to do with her journalism. The statement has been registered, as confirmed to the IMI by Serhiy Kreta, chief of communications department at the Ternopil Oblast National Police.
"The statement has been entered into the unified register of pre-trial investigations. Proceedings have been initiated under Part 1 of Article 182 'Violation of privacy,'" said Serhiy Kreta.
The article provides for a fine from 500 to one thousand non-taxable minimum incomes, up to two years of community labor, arrest for up to six months, or restriction of freedom for up to three years.
As reported earlier, on October 17, the anonymous Facebook page "Bigus Ternopilskyi" posted disinformation, alleging that journalist Vitaliy Antoniuk, who worked with "20 Khvylyn" for many years, had been killed in action.
In her comment to the IMI, the media outlet's editor Natalia Burlaku said that she did not know whether the two cases are related.
"The two incidents happening at roughly the same time is a fact. But no one knows what is on anyone's mind. Whether it's just trolling or provocation. We have to insure ourselves in case worse situations arise," Burlaku noted.
According to her, the team recently published several reportages "related to illegal land sale schemes in Ternopil and to officials leaving the country." However, she is unsure whether both incidents have anything to do with that material.
"If only things were this obvious... We have theories and assumptions as to who might be involved. We told the police everything, now it is for them to check," the editor noted.
The police said that a statement related to the alleged death of journalist Vitaliy Antoniuk also came from another "20 Khvylyn" journalist whose name was mentioned by the anonymous page "Bigus Ternopilskyi" the day after the incident in a "debunking", who alleged that it was that journalist who informed them of the death of his colleague. The statement was attached to the fraud proceedings. Another one is expected from Natalia Burlaku.
Yulia Inozemtseva, a former "20 Khvylyn" journalist whose bank card number was listed under the false report about Antoniuk's death with an allegation that he was his wife, reported on Facebook that she had that card blocked.
"Since that untrue and cynical message was posted, my bank account received four cash payments from three different people, who, unfortunately, fell for the fake call to 'support the family of the fallen soldier,'" she said, adding that she returned the money to these people and is actively cooperating with the police in the case.
ONLINE PRESSURE
Cyber attacks – 6
1. UNIAN reports intense DoS attack on their website
23.10.2024 The website of the news agency UNIAN has suffered an intense DoS attack that lasted for about an hour, reports the editorial team.
The resource was temporarily unavailable to users. The outlet's engineers worked to resolve the problem. As of now, the website has been restored.
In the comment to Institute of Mass Information representative Valentyna Troyan, the UNIAN chief editor Mykhailo Hannytskyi said that the cause of the cyber attack was still unclear.
He also noted that the editors could say if Russian hackers were involved in the attack.
Earlier, in September 2024, the website of investigative journalism agency "Slidstvo.Info" suffered a DDoS attack after releasing an investigation into the high-end property owned by the Minister of Agrarian Policy, Vitaliy Koval.
2. Scammers attempt to hack Kropyvnytskyi's "Hrechka"
30.10.2024 The Kropyvnytskyi news outlet "Hrechka" received a phishing email claiming to have been sent by the State Tax Service inspection in the Suvorovskyi district, Odesa.
The media outlet's editor Anastasia Dziubak reported this to Pavel Lisnychenko, the Institute of Mass Information representative in Kirovohrad oblast.
According to the journalist, the email mentioned an inconsistency in the news outlet's paperwork, suggesting the view the document in question by following the link in the body of the letter.
Anastasia Dziubak said that such letters rarely arrive at their editorial inbox. However, the news outlet has already developed an algorithm for dealing with such correspondence.
"I immediately warned my colleagues once again about the risks of phishing (in April, the entire team went through digital security training). Moreover, I reported the email to the Digital Security Laboratory, and they confirmed it was phishing," she said.
In September, the cyber police reported that scammers were hacking user accounts in a popular messenger app and sending phishing messages to the victim's contact list about receiving financial assistance from the government or from international organizations.
3. Kherson's MOST under intense cyber attack
31.10.2024 The Kherson online news outlet MOST has suffered an intense DDoS attack today (October 31) in the afternoon, chief editor Serhiy Nikitenko reports to the Institute of Mass Information.
"The attack began around 2:00 p.m. As we can see, it is very intense, and our defenses are not quite able to repel it yet, which caused the website to temporarily go down," he said.
The editors associate this attack with a series of publications about the construction of underground schools in the city.
"We have been following this topic almost since the day this scandalous construction began; first it caused an attack on our colleague Olena Hnitetska, and then a representative of the contractor asked her to pass me some strange 'regards', which we clearly view as pressure on the independent media," he added.
According to the chief editor, on October 30, the media outlet published an exclusive comment by the chair of the Kherson OMA, Oleksandr Prokudin, who said that they had decided against building some of the planned schools following the backlash from the people.
"According to my information, this news was very poorly received by the associates of Roman Mrochka, the city's military administration chair, and I fully assume that this is revenge for our stance," Nikitenko says.
On September 30, Olena Hnitetska, a journalist with the online news outlet MOST, was attacked by an unknown man on a school's premises in Kherson. The man shoved her and took away her phone, tossing into a pit where construction equipment was working. The journalist was working on a report about the construction of underground schools in Kherson.
The Kherson police has opened a case under Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Preclusion of the legal professional work of journalists) over the attack.
4. Hrechka receives a phishing email posing as the SBU
31.10.2024 Kropyvnytskyi news outlet Hrechka received a second phishing letter to their editorial inbox in a week. This time, the senders were asking for data posing as the "Central SBU Office".
Hrechka editor Anastasia Dziubak reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Kirovohradska oblast, Pavel Lisnychenko.
At least two more media outlets, Tochka Dostupu and CBN, received similar letters, also claiming to be from the SBU.
Despite the fact that the senders' addresses were different, the body of the letter was identical. Journalists were asked to submit a series of documents by November 5, otherwise "the organization would be stopped." To receive what the sender called a series of documents, the team had to download the file attached to the letter.
On October 30, the Kropyvnytskyi news outlet Hrechka reported receiving a phishing email claiming to have been sent by the State Tax Service inspection in the Suvorovskyi district, Odesa.
5. Tochka Dostupu receives a phishing email posing as the SBU
31.10.2024 Kropyvnytskyi news outlet Tochka Dostupu received a phishing letter to their editorial inbox. The senders were asking for data posing as the "Central SBU Office".
The team reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Kirovohradska oblast, Pavel Lisnychenko.
At least two more media outlets, Hrechka and CBN, received similar letters, also claiming to be from the SBU.
Despite the fact that the senders' addresses were different, the body of the letter was identical. Journalists were asked to submit a series of documents by November 5, otherwise "the organization would be stopped." To receive what the sender called a series of documents, the team had to download the file attached to the letter.
6. CBN receives a phishing email posing as the SBU
31.10.2024 Kropyvnytskyi news outlet CBN received a phishing letter to their editorial inbox. The senders were asking for data posing as the "Central SBU Office".
CBN editor Myroslava Lypa reported this to the Institute of Mass Information representative in Kirovohradska oblast, Pavel Lisnychenko.
At least two more media outlets, Hrechka and Tochka Dostupu, received similar letters, also claiming to be from the SBU.
Despite the fact that the senders' addresses were different, the body of the letter was identical. Journalists were asked to submit a series of documents by November 5, otherwise "the organization would be stopped." To receive what the sender called a series of documents, the team had to download the file attached to the letter.
Lypa says that the news outlet had already received similar letters before. However, they previously contained demands from a fake tax office.
DEFENDING FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The authorities' response to freedom of speech violations – 3
1. Kherson police opens a probe into the attack on a MOST journalist
03.10.2024 The Kherson police has opened a case under Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Preclusion of the legal professional work of journalists) for the attack on Olena Hnitetska, journalist with the local media outlet MOST, the Kherson Oblast Police reports on Facebook.
"Currently, the necessary investigative actions are underway and all the details of the incident are being clarified," the message reads.
On September 30, Olena Hnitetska, a journalist with the online news outlet MOST, was attacked by an unknown man on a school's premises in Kherson. The man shoved her and took away her phone, tossing into a pit where construction equipment was working.
According to the journalist, she is working on a report about the construction of underground schools in Kherson and "wanted to inspect a construction site which has sparked indignation among the locals personally."
16.10.2024 On October 16, Zaporizhzhia police opened a case over obstruction of reporting faced by Elmira Shahabudtdynova, a journalist with the news media outlet 061.ua. Her statement was submitted to the UPTIR 18 days later, after the public backlash and an address by the Institute of Mass Information with a request for an assessment of the situation.
The case was opened under Part 1 of Article 171 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (obstruction of legal professional work of journalists), police captain Anna Tkachenko, chief of communications at the Zaporizhzhia Oblast National Police HQ, reported to Natalia Vyhovska, the IMI representative in Zaporizhzhia oblast.
"Investigation in the open proceedings is currently underway, and we will report comprehensively on the results," said Tkachenko.
She added that the woman who attacked Elmira had also filed a statement.
"On September 29, at the site struck by the enemy's aerial bomb in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Zaporizhzhia, a conflict arose between a journalist of a Zaporizhzhia media outlet and the owner of a house affected by the explosion, who prohibited the reporter to film near her house and demanded that she delete the footage. Both filed statements with the police, which were entered into to the Unified Record of Statements and Reports on Crime and Other Events. The police have performed a full unbiased check into the incident," said Anna Tkachenko.
At the same time, the Zaporizhzhia Oblast National Police notes that they understand "the state of citizens affected by the occupiers' war crimes and the frustration that their damaged property being filmed may cause for them."
"People usually express fear that the strikes may happen again after the media publish the footage," the report says.
The woman involved in the case began to demand a video apology from the 061.ua journalist. As Elmira Shahabudtdynova tells the IMI representative, the woman called her editorial office on October 16 and demanded that the journalist publicly apologize to her on camera.
On September 29, the residents of a Zaporizhzhia private sector which was targeted by Russian anti-aircraft missiles interfered with the work of Elmira Shahabudtdynova as she was photographing the aftermath of the Russian strike. The people blocked her way, insulted her, threatened her, and demanded she delete the pictures she had already taken. They claimed that journalists only make things worse and that it is them who cause the shelling. The journalist called the police and filed a statement on obstruction to her reporting.
3. Court rules not to incarcerate deputy who threatened to kill journalist Anastasia Matsko
21.10.2024 The October District Court of Poltava convicted the district council deputy Serhiy Boyko of death threats and violent threats to the local journalist Anastasia Matsko and sentenced him to one year of probation supervision.
The judgement was passed today, October 21, reports "Poltavska Khvylia".
The court ordered Boyko to check in with the probation authority at regular intervals and to warn them in case his place of residence or work changes.
The deputy was also banned from talking to the victim. Over 28,000 hryvnias of court fees should be collected from him.
The journalist's lawyer Dmytro Semekha said that he would prepare an appeal after analyzing the judgement.
"I understand that, in the victim's opinion, this is too mild a punishment for such a crime as death threats," the lawyer added.
On March 29, 2023, Anastasia Matsko, a journalist at the online publication "Poltava Wave", has said that district council deputy, Serhiy Boyko, and the head of the welfare inspection, Maksym Malko, threatened her during a City Council session.
The police opened a case for Part 2 of Article 171 ("Obstructing the legal professional work of journalists") of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Later, the journalist's lawyer, Dmytro Semekha, requested that the Poltava police reclassify the case as threats instead of obstruction.
On May 29, Matsko and her lawyer filed a complaint with the Prosecutor General's Office due to the police's inaction. Two forensic examinations confirmed that the journalist received death threats, but the work of the prosecutors' remained insufficient, in her opinion.
On November 7, 2023, the deputy received a suspicion notice under Part 1 of Article 345-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (threats or violence against a journalist).
The trial began in February 2024.
Response by the journalist community – 2
1. Media Movement turns to Zelensky over government pressure upon "Ukrainska Pravda"
10.10.2024 The Media Movement of Ukrainian journalists and media organizations calls on the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to take immediate action to stop the pressure on the media by any officials or advisers, to guarantee the state bodies' transparency and openness while communicating with journalists, and to provide the media with unhindered access to information that is important to society, as outlined in the Media Movement's statement regarding the pressure on Ukrainian Pravda by officials.
"Of particular concern is the practice of individual advisers and officials allowing themselves to interfere with the activities of journalists by imposing unofficial restrictions on officials' communication with the media, blocking access to events for certain blacklisted independent media outlets, and creating other obstacles to the functioning of independent resources," the statement reads.
The Media Movement says that conflicts with the independent media damage not only the reputation of government agencies, but also the country as a whole. The media is not an enemy of the state - it is a partner in the fight for freedom and democratic values.
The Institute of Mass Information provides the full statement:
We, Ukrainian journalists and media organizations, members of the Media Movement, strongly protest against the attempts of government officials to put pressure on independent media, which is becoming more and more systematic.
Of particular concern is the practice of individual advisers and officials allowing themselves to interfere with the activities of journalists by imposing unofficial restrictions on officials' communication with the media, blocking access to events for certain blacklisted independent media outlets, and creating other obstacles to the functioning of independent resources.
For example, according to our colleagues at Ukrayinska Pravda, presidential advisor Dmytro Lytvyn, who previously worked as a journalist and political expert, has been imposing restrictions on communication between government officials and journalists from Ukrayinska Pravda in recent months.
We emphasize that this is not a problem of one person, but a much broader trend of narrowing the space for independent media and the government's attempts to control all public discourse. We are witnessing more and more active attempts by the authorities to create a single controlled narrative, which limits critical analysis and diversity of opinion in the information space of Ukraine and narrows people's right to receive socially important information. The war cannot serve as an excuse for such actions.
Today, Ukrainian journalists are working under unprecedented pressure and danger. Our colleagues are not just informing the public, but fulfilling a critical mission: they document the crimes of the aggressor, tell the world the truth about the war and protect the right of people to reliable information. Unfortunately, many of them have already paid the ultimate price for this - their lives. Independent media is the key to a stable democratic society, as it ensures public control over the actions of the authorities, promotes transparency and accountability.
We call on the President of Ukraine to immediately take measures to stop pressure on the media by any government officials or advisors, to guarantee transparency and openness of government agencies to communicate with journalists, and to provide the media with unimpeded access to information that is important to society.
Conflicts with the independent media damage not only the reputation of government agencies, but also the country as a whole. The media is not an enemy of the state – it is a partner in the fight for freedom and democratic values.
On October 8, the Institute of Mass Information released a mini-interview with the Ukrainian Pravda chirf editor Sevgil Musaieva, who said that the OP was calling advertisers and asking them not to buy advertisements in the UP.
On October 9, Ukrainian Pravda claimed they have faced continuous systematic pressure on the team and its individual journalists from the President's Office.
On October 10, the UP reported that it was Dmytro Lytvyn, the communications adviser to the President of Ukraine, who was blocking speakers from talking to Ukrainian Pravda journalists and participating in their interviews and events.
11.10.2024 Ukrainian journalists and media professionals call on the international community to take decisive and immediate action regarding the murder of Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna in Russian custody, according to their statement, which is open for signature.
"Knowing that Viktoria Roshchyna had been in captivity for over a year and that she was physically healthy before her imprisonment by Russian forces, we have every reason to believe that her death was either the result of intentional murder or a consequence of the cruel treatment and violence she suffered while in Russian captivity," the statement reads.
The journalists call on organizations such as the UN, OSCE, PACE and ICRC to take action according to their mandates.
"International institutions mandated to protect human rights must act decisively and immediately. We call on international organizations to take urgent action to verify the condition and protect the rights of 29 civilian Ukrainian journalists currently held in Russian captivity," the statement reads.
The Institute of Mass Information provides the full statement:
We, journalists and media professionals, express our deepest condolences to the family and colleagues of Viktoria Roshchyna, a brave and talented Ukrainian journalist who died in Russian captivity at just 27 years old.
Knowing that Viktoria Roshchyna had been in captivity for over a year and that she was physically healthy before her imprisonment by Russian forces, we have every reason to believe that her death was either the result of intentional murder or a consequence of the cruel treatment and violence she suffered while in Russian captivity.
Viktoria Roshchyna was detained on August 3, 2023, in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine while performing her journalistic duties, planning to report on the lives of people under occupation. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, she died on September 19, 2024.
We urge our colleagues in Ukrainian, foreign, and international media to highlight this tragedy, conduct independent investigations into the circumstances surrounding Viktoria's death, and help tell the world about the fate of Ukrainian journalists currently held in Russian captivity.
International institutions mandated to protect human rights must act decisively and immediately. We call on international organizations to take urgent action to verify the condition and protect the rights of 29 civilian Ukrainian journalists currently held in Russian captivity.
We call on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to fully execute its mandate and regularly visit prisoners, particularly civilians held by Russia in occupied Ukrainian or Russian territories. The current statute and response of the ICRC do not match the scale of the immense humanitarian crisis caused by Russian aggression. We demand that the ICRC establish monitoring missions in Russian prisons holding Ukrainian journalists and do everything possible to ensure that detainees' basic rights are upheld, and that they are protected from abuse.
We urge the United Nations (UN) to activate its structures, such as the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and establish an independent commission to investigate the death of Viktoria Roshchyna. We also call on the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression to report publicly on the situation of Ukrainian journalists in Russian captivity, as well as on other crimes committed by Russia against Ukrainian media and journalists.
We call on the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to use its human rights monitoring tools for an urgent review of the conditions of Ukrainian journalists held in Russia. We also call on the OSCE to appoint a special mission, led by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, to investigate the illegal detentions, murders, and persecution of Ukrainian journalists by Russia.
We urge the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to hold urgent debates on Russia’s systematic violations of journalists' rights, particularly the murder of Viktoria Roshchyna, and to initiate a special resolution condemning the killing of Ukrainian journalists and calling for sanctions against Russian officials responsible for these crimes. We also call on PACE to appoint a special rapporteur to report on Russian crimes against Ukrainian journalists and the threats to journalists' safety caused by Russian aggression.
Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of any democracy. When journalists are unlawfully detained, it is not only an attack on individuals but also an assault on the right of everyone to freely express themselves and receive uncensored information. We appeal to all those who believe in democratic values to unite in defending these principles and seeking justice for the detained Ukrainian journalists wrongfully imprisoned by Russia.
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