Ukrainian journalists in Russian captivity: Up-to-date list

Illustration by the IMI

According to the Institute of Mass Information, at least 30 Ukrainian civilians working in journalism and 3 media professionals who are combatants are in Russian detention as of November 4, 2024.

THE LIST OF CIVILIAN JOURNALISTS DETAINED

1. Iryna Danylovych, a Radio Liberty journalist detained by Russian police in occupied Crimea on April 29, 2022. In December 2022 she was sentenced to seven years in prison for alleged storage of an explosive device. She has been moved to a prison in Russia.
   
2. Vladyslav Yesypenko, a Radio Liberty journalist detained by Russia in Simferopol on March 10, 2021. The journalist was "charged" with collecting intelligence "for Ukraine's special services," including the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. On February 16, 2022, the Russia-backed Simferopol District Court sentenced him to six years in prison for alleged illegal storage and transportation of an explosive device.
3. Dmytro Khyliuk, a UNIAN journalist kidnapped by Russian troops in Kozarovychi on March 3, 2022, during the occupation of Kyiv oblast. He is detained in the penal colony No. 7 in Pakino (Vladimir region, Russia). The Russian Ministry of Defense does not explicitly call him a prisoner of war, but cited the Third Geneva Convention, which specifically concerns POW treatment, in response to his father's query.
4. Iryna Levhcenko, a Melitopol based journalist. She and her husband were kidnapped by the Russians in early May 2023. At the time, the couple had already been in retirement for several years. She remains detained in Melitopol. The fate of her husband is unknown.
   
5. Oleksandr Malyshev, a Ukrainian journalist captured by Russia on August 20, 2023. He was detained along with the administrators of several other Telegram channels such as "RIA Melitopol" and "Melitopol Is Ukraine". The occupiers charged them with terrorism, high treason, and espionage.
6. Heorhiy Levchenko, the Telegram channel administrator for the local news outlet "RIA Melitopol", kidnapped by Russia on August 20, 2023. On October 27, 2023, the FSB charged the journalist with sharing data on Russian soldiers with Ukrainian special services.
7. Maksym Rupchov, one of the Telegram channel administrators for "RIA Melitopol" and "Melitopol Is Ukraine", which reported on the life in temporarily occupied Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia oblast. He and his colleagues were detained on August 20, 2023.
   
8. Yana Suvorova, author of the Telegram channel "Melitopol Is Ukraine", which reported local news while under occupation, kidnapped by the Russians on August 20, 2023. Charged by the FSB of "intentions to participate in sabotage operations" in Zaporizhzhia oblast together with Ukrainian military intelligence agents.
9. Mark Kaliush, one of the Telegram channel administrators with "RIA Melitopol" and "Melitopol Is Ukraine" who were detained by the Russians in Melitopol on August 20, 2023. Charged with terrorism, espionage, and working with Ukrainian special services along with the other administrators.
10. Kostyantyn Zynovkin, one of the Telegram channel administrators with "RIA Melitopol" and "Melitopol Is Ukraine". Detained by the Russians in temporarily occupied Melitopol in early May 2023. Charged with terrorism and other crimes, including public calls for acts of terrorism, high treason, and espionage.
11. Oleksiy Bessarabov, Ukrainian journalist and public activist unlawfully detained by Russia in occupied Crimea in 2016. Worked with the analysis center "Nomos" and wrote columns for the magazine "Chornomorska Bezpeka". Charged with espionage and sabotage. Sentenced to 14 years in prison.
12. Dmytro Shtyblikov, Ukrainian journalist and public activist unlawfully detained by Russia in occupied Crimea in 2016. Charged with espionage and preparing sabotage operations together with Oleksiy Bessarabov and Volodymyr Dudka. Sentenced to 14 years in prison in a sham trial.
13. Seyran Saliyev, citizen journalist, "Crimean Solidarity" streamer. Detained in occupied Bağçasaray on October 11, 2017, along with five other Crimean Tatars. Charged with preparing sabotage operations in Crimea on the Ukrainian intelligence's orders. Sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 on fabricated terrorism charges in the Hizb ut-Tahrir case. Serves his unlawful sentence in a Tula region prison (Russia).
14. Marlen Asanov, citizen journalist, "Crimean Solidarity" volunteer. Detained in occupied Bağçasaray on October 11, 2017, along with several other Crimean Tatars. All were charged with "organizing the activities of the terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir." Asanov was sentenced to 19 years in prison by the Rostov-on-Don court on September 16, 2020.
15. Tymur Ibrahimov, Crimean citizen journalist who reported on Russia's human rights violations and repression in the region since 2014. Detained by Russian police on October 11, 2017, along with several other Crimean Tatars in the so-called second Bağçasaray group case for alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization that is outlawed in Russia. Sentenced to 17 years in prison by a Russian court on September 16, 2020.
16. Server Mustafayev, citizen journalist, "Crimean Solidarity" coordinator. Reported on politically motivated trials. Arrested in 2018 along with other suspects in the "second Bağçasaray Hizb ut-Tahrir case" in 2018 following a search. Sentenced to 14 years in prison by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) on September 16, 2020. The latest reports say he remains unlawfully detained in the Tambov prison No. 33 in Russia.
    
17. Osman Arifmemetov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist, activist. Detained by Russian police during a mass search of the homes of Crimean Tatar activists (including "Crimean Solidarity" representatives) on March 27, 2019. Prosecuted for alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organization that is outlawed in Russia. Sentenced to 14 years in a high security prison by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) on November 24, 2022.
18. Remzi Bekirov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist with "Crimean Solidarity". Detained in occupied Crimea during searches in the homes of Crimean Tatar activists on March 27, 2019. Bekirov livestreamed searches and trials in politically motivated cases and reported on the persecution of Crimean Tatars. Sentenced to 19 years in prison for alleged terrorism and attempted overthrow of government by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) in 2020.
19. Ruslan Suleymanov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and activist, detained by Russian police along with other activists during the mass search in the homes of Crimean Tatars on March 27, 2019. Sentenced to 14 years in prison for alleged terrorism and attempted overthrow of government by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) in 2020.
20. Rustem Sheikhaliyev, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and activist. Detained on March 27, 2019, during the mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the Kamyanka and Strohanivka microdistricts (Simferopol). Accused by Russian police of involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is outlawed in Russia. Sentenced to 14 years in prison for alleged terrorism and attempted overthrow of government by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) on November 24, 2022.
21. Amet Suleymanov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist with "Crimean Solidarity", reported on the searches and detentions targeting Crimean Tatars following the 2014 Russian occupation of Crimea. Sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) on November 24, 2022, for alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is legal in Ukraine, but outlawed in Russia.
22. Asan Akhtemov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist unlawfully imprisoned in Russia. He was detained by Russian police in Crimea in September 2021 along with several other journalists. Akhtemov is one of the 16 Crimean Tatar journalists imprisoned by Russia on sham charges of terrorism or involvement in outlawed organizations.
23. Vilen Temeryanov, citizen journalist, correspondent with "Crimean Solidarity" and "Grani.ru". Detained in 2022 and charged with involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir and preparing sabotage operations in Crimea on the orders of Ukraine's intelligence services. Unlawfully moved to a prison away from temporarily occupied Crimea in 2023. The journalist's eyesight declined sharply in the prison. In 2023, Vilen Temeryanov also complained of regular stomachaches, which he believed were due to poor diet and lack of physical movement in the prison.
24. Ernes Ametov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist, detained by Russian police on October 12, 2017, along with other "Crimean Solidarity" activists. Sentenced to 11 years in prison on fabricated charges of terrorism and working with Hizb ut-Tahrir by the Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don (Russia) on December 29, 2022. Ametov was accused of involvement in the organization's activities and preparing to violently overthrow the government.
25. Anastasia Hlukhovska, "RIA Melitopol" journalist. Detained by Russia on August 20, 2023. First held captive in a Melitopol hardware store which the Russians had turned into a makeshift prison. Charged with "terrorism". Remains in detention in Rostov, Russia.
    
26. Rustem Osmanov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and activist, detained in Crimea on March 5, 2024, during a wave of searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars. Arrested on charges of involvement in a terrorist organisation by the Russa-backed Kyiv District Court of Simferopol; his PTDC term was later extended to November 4, 2024.
27. Aziz Azizov, Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and "Crimean Solidarity" correspondent. Detained in Bağçasaray on March 5, 2024, and arrested until May 4. The court later extended his PTDC term to November 4, 2024. Charged with involvement in a terrorist organisation.
28. Vladyslav Hershon, author of the Telegram channel "Melitopol Is Ukraine", which reported local news while under occupation. Kidnapped by the Russians on August 20, 2023. Charged by the FSB of "intentions to participate in sabotage operations" in Zaporizhzhia oblast together with Ukrainian military intelligence agents.
29. Yevhen Ilchenko, administrator of the Telegram channel @Mitopol (Melitopol). Reported on the life under occupation. Detained by the Russians in the summer of 2022, is likely in a high security prison in Taganrog (Russia).
    
30. Hennadiy Osmak, journalist and chief editor for the online news outlet "Novyi Vizyt" (Henichesk, Kherson oblast). Kidnapped by Russians in occupied Henichesk in early March 2024. Is being prosecuted for "Involvement in an illegal military group". The "Novyi Vizyt" website shut down after Russia's full-scale invasion; Osmak has said he no longer had ties with the media outlet.

JOURNALISTS IN THE MILITARY TAKEN POW BY RUSSIA

1. Oleksandr Hudilin, Mariupol journalist, army serviceman, taken prisoner by Russia in early April 2022. Was able to contact his family and let them know.
   
2. Vasyl Filimon, cameraman at the Mykolaiv branch of Suspilne Broadcasting who was conscripted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces, taken prisoner by Russian troops on May 15, 2022, while performing a combat mission in Donetsk oblast.

UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY

Nariman Celal, journalist, politician, came back to Ukraine from Russian captivity on June 28, 2024. He is the first Ukrainian journalist from the list published by the Institute of Mass Information to be released from Russian detention.

Maksym Butkevych, human rights advocate, journalist, co-founder of the ZMINA Human Rights Center and NGO "Hromadske Radio", army serviceman, who came back to Ukraine on October 18, 2024. He is the second Ukrainian journalist released from Russian custody in 2024.

THE LIST OF UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS DECEASED IN RUSSIAN CUSTODY

Victoria Roshchyna, Ukrainian journalist who worked with Hromadske, "Ukrainian Pravda", Radio Liberty, Hromadske Radio, Suspilne Broadcasting, and Censor.NET. Her death in Russian detention was reported on October 10, 2024. According to the letter sent to her family by Russia's Ministry of Defense on October 10, Victoria died on September 19. Victoria Roshchyna's name was on the swap lists.

On October 11, the police reclassified the case opened previously over Roshchyna's disappearance (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) as Part 2 of Article 438 of the CCU: violation of the laws and customs of war combined with premediated murder.

The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a Ukrainian non-governmental media organization that has been operating since 1996. The IMI defends the rights of journalists, analyzes the media field and covers media-related events, fights propaganda and disinformation and has been providing media outlets with safety gear for trips to the combat zone since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014.

The IMI carries out Ukraine's only freedom of speech monitoring and keeps a list of high quality and sustainable online media outlets, documents Russia's crimes against the media committed in the course of the war on Ukraine. The IMI has representatives in 20 oblasts of Ukraine and a network of "Mediabaza" hubs to provide journalists with continuous support. The IMI's partners include Reporters Without Borders and Freedom House; the organization is a member of the International Organization for the Protection of Freedom of Expression (IFEX).