The Kyiv office of the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) flooded overnight on 30 January. The flooding damaged the rooms as well as the safety gear and power equipment that the civil society organisation offers to journalists. The office is now unfit for use and the equipment leases have been paused.

IMI director Oksana Romaniuk says that the accident occurred when the heating in the building, which had been out for a while due to Russian air strikes at Ukraine’s energy system, was switched back on. The pipes in the building could not withstand the sudden change in temperature and burst. This caused water to trickle down from the ceiling in the IMI office, pooling on the floor about one centimeter deep.

Flooded IMI office. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

IMI office damaged in the flooding. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

The flooding affcted the room where IMI stored the safety gear and power equipment issued to media professionals, such as bulletproof vests, helmets, first aid kits, and power stations. Office equipment and supplies were damaged by water as well.

“The flooding damaged the wiring; the office is now unfit for use and needs repairs at least on the electricity network. We are assessing the scale of the damage, the impact on the equipment, and the safety of the office,” said IMI director Oksana Romaniuk. “This incident showcases another tangible dimension of the war, which affects the infrastructure and the conditions the media have to work in.” 

IMI continues to support Ukrainian journalism despite the circumstances. The media organisation will most likely be looking for a new office space in the near future, but for now it calls on everyone who can to support them by donating here.

IMI’s Kyiv office flooded. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

IMI’s office is unfit for use due to the flooding. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

The safety gear and energy equipment stored in the IMI office has suffered in the flooding. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

The Institute of Mass Information office also houses the Press Freedom Center run by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The room used by the RSF team was also damaged by the flooding.

The room housing the RSF team was damaged by the flooding. Photo by Hanna Chabarai

“The energy situation in Kyiv has reached catastrophic levels. The media are having to cope with repeated power outages, water leaks caused by the damage to the infrastructure, and extreme polar cold,” said RSF’s Regional Officer for Ukraine Pauline Maufrais. “The RSF Press Freedom Center, which operates with the support of RSF’s Ukrainian partner, the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), has also been affected. The damage has caused water leaks and the office is temporarily unusable. RSF supports IMI, which continues to operate despite the difficult situation, and credits the resilience of Ukrainian journalists who, despite the particularly difficult context, are resolutely carrying out their mission of informing society.”

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.