The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) lost nearly all of the equipment stored in their regional hub Mediabaza Dnipro during Russia’s mass strike on Dnipro city overnight on 17 November. The total damage is estimated at about 260 thousand hryvnias, as per the analysis conducted by the Institute of Mass Information.
The building housing Mediabaza Dnipro burned down due to the Russian drone strike along with the safety and energy equipment stored inside. The destroyed equipment included body armour, helmets, charging stations, solar panels, power banks, a Starlink terminal, furniture, etc.
Collage by IMI, using photos by Mediabaza Dnipro
“One of the drone hits and the resulting fire occurred a meter away from our warehouse, where almost all the equipment, body armour, first-aid kits, etc. were stored. One bulletproof vest survived only because it was in a different part of the building: I had no time to carry it over to the warehouse. We were also lucky that the generator survived; it was also in a different room, fueled and ready to ‘get to work’ at any moment. The rest of the property was destroyed. We cannot even get to the warehouse physically, because it would be dangerous: due to the strikes and the intensity of the fire, the floor under our feet may simply collapse,” says Mediabaza Dnipro coordinator Kateryna Lysiuk.
Collage by IMI, using photos by Mediabaza Dnipro
Previously
The premises are completely unfit for use after the strike. The Suspilne Dnipro office located on the ground floor of the same building was destroyed along with Mediabaza Dnipro.
After the damage was reported, the international organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) sent IMI some safety gear from their own stock: 15 bulletproof vests, 15 helmets, and 50 first aid kits.
Suspilme Dnipro has resumed operations offline in their new offce, which they rented following the Russian strike at their branch on 17 November 2025.
Collage by IMI, using photos by Mediabaza Dnipro
The Mediabazas are a network of 15 regional hubs, created by the Institute of Mass Information to support the work of independent journalists amid Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine.
The Mediabazas offer journalists a work space during blackouts, bulletproof vests and helmets, workshops, classes, and help in communication with local authorities. This list of services is not exhaustive as IMI’s regional hubs adapt their offerings in response to the needs of the media community in their respective regions.
The IMI Mediabazas are funded with the support of the European Union.
