The civil society organisation Institute of Mass Information (IMI) has issued critical equipment to media professionals over 12,000 times since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014. In 2025, IMI provided necessary equipment to journalists more than 700 times.
In 2025, IMI issued:
- bulletproof vests and helmets (148 times);
- first aid kits (105 times);
- tourniquets, ofther equipment for administering first aid and maintaining comfort and safety in emergencies (198 times);
- power stations and power banks (32 times);
- tactical ballistic eyewear, active headphones (23 times);
- equipment to be used in IMI’s regional Mediabaza hubs (196 times).
In terms of safety gear, helmets, body armor, and tourniquets are in the highest demand among media professionals, says IMI’s safety gear coordinator Nelya Ishchenko. According to her, most requests in 2025 were coming from the eastern and northeastern regions of Ukraine; IMI also provided equipment to international reporters.
“Given the state of our energy system, media workers often got power stations and power banks from IMI. In 2025, we also provided journalists with active headphones to protect them from the sounds of explosions and gunfire while working on the battlefield. We are also preparing to purchase drone detectors, which we will be able to provide to media workers soon as well,” added Nelya Ishchenko.
Since the start of the Russo–Ukrainian war in 2014, IMI has issued the following equipment to journalists:
- bulletproof vests and helmets (6843 times);
- first aid kits (1855 times);
- tourniquets and other first aid equipment, equipment for maintaining comfort and safety in emergencies (over 1110 times);
- generators, power stations, power banks (1232 times);
- other technology and safety gear, satellite phones, gas masks, sleeping bags, tactical ballistic eyewear, water filters, active headphones, gadgets for reporting, etc. (1023 times).
How to get safety gear from IMI
To lease safety gear, personal first aid kits or other equipment for battlefield reporting in Ukraine from IMI free of charge, fill out the following form.
Read about the work done with the help of our safety equipment every day, learn who helped us with this at the onset of the full-scale invasion and what equipment media professionals can get now in the interview with Nelya Ishchenko.
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).
