Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demands the immediate and unconditional release of all Ukrainian journalists imprisoned by Russia, according to MFA’s World Press Freedom statement.
The Ministry stressed that Russia has been waging a war against journalists through physical attacks as well as propaganda and persecution.
“We remember every Ukrainian journalist currently in Russian captivity. […] We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Ukrainian journalists. Ukraine will not cease the fight for every one of its citizens—military or civilian—until everyone has returned home,” the statement reads.
The MFA mentioned the situation in the occupied territories, saying Russia had established a regime of total censorship and repression there, with freedom of speech being “physically eradicated”.
“This is a deliberate campaign of Russian terror against those who bring the truth to the world. There must be accountability for every attack on journalists within both national and international jurisdictions. Under no circumstances should the media be targeted,” the statement says.
The MFA called on international organisations to thoroughly monitor press freedom violations and pressure on the media in Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories and to support independent media as a safeguard against dictatorship.
“The struggle for the rights of journalists, press freedom, and freedom of speech is a common cause for the entire international community. It is not merely the task of a single country; it is the protection of a global immunity against tyranny. We call upon the world to unite efforts to ensure the safety of media workers in conflict zones, to respond firmly to crimes against freedom of speech, and to support independent media as a safeguard against dictatorship,” the MFA said.
According to the Institute of Mass Information, no fewer than 26 Ukrainian civilians working in the media remain in Russian detention as of 4 May 2026.
Russia has committed at least 937 crimes against journalists and the media in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, with 15 media professionals dying while reporting. Russia has targeted media offices in Ukraine at least 72 times, affecting no fewer than 64 media outlets.
