Russia committed 971 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine in the four and a half years since the start of the full-scale war, as evidenced by the Monitoring Study of Russia’s Crimes Against Journalists and the Media, which the Institute of Mass Information has been carrying out since the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
IMI recorded five new instances of Russia’s war negatively affecting the media in the period from 24 July to 24 August 2026. Four newsrooms were damaged or destroyed, bringing the total number of such cases to 105.
One more media outlet temporarily went out of print due to the impact of the war. As of 24 August 2026, a total of 338 news outlets have halted operations due to the war.
Media offices damaged
- A Russian strike damaged the Visti Barvinkivshchyny office in central Barvinkove (Kharkiv oblast). The shock wave blasted out several windows and doors, damaged the walls and ceiling, and destroyed some furniture.
- Radio na Dotyk studio was damaged in a combined Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia. The panoramic windows were blasted out, a wall and the doors were damaged, and the rooms were littered with glass shards. The team was unharmed and continued to work.
- The office of the newspaper Visti Novovorontsovshchyny was damaged in the Russian drone strike in Novovorontsovka (Kherson oblast). The blast blew out the office’s windows and doors, littering the premises in glass shards. The team has evacuated the equipment and is looking for a new office.
- The office of the TV channel My Ukraina was damaged in a massive Russian strike on Kyiv. The windows in the office were blasted out and the newsroom sustained significant damage. The staff were unharmed and continued to work as usual.
Media outlets halting operations due to the war
- Kremenchutska Hazeta (Poltava oblast) has temporarily gone out of print due to the impact of the full-scale war, such as the decline in the advertising market and team members getting drafted. The news outlet’s website remains active.
See the full list of Russia’s crimes against media and journalists in Ukraine here.
The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) is a civil society organization specializing in the media, operating since 1996. IMI defends the rights of journalists, studies the media landscape and reports on media-related events, fights propaganda and disinformation, and provides media workers with safety equipment for trips to combat areas (since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014).
IMI carries out the only monitoring study of freedom of speech in Ukraine, keeps a list of transparent and responsible online media outlets, and tracks Russia’s media crimes in the war on Ukraine. IMI has representatives in 20 oblasts of Ukraine and runs a network of Media Hubs that provide journalists with unfailing support. IMI’s partners include Reporters Without Borders (RSF); the organization is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).
