Local media may report on the ground in Sumy oblast, including air strike sites, without warning the military in advance. However, this does not apply to reporting trips to areas where the safety situation is difficult, said Vadym Mysnyk, chief of communications at the Group of Forces (GF) “North”, during a meeting with media professionals organised by the Institute of Mass Information’s Mediabaza Sumy hub.
GF North oversees Sumy oblast’s Shostka and Konotop districts, parts of Sumy and Romny districts, as well as some territorial communities in Chernihiv oblast. Vadym Mysnyk said that the regulations for reporting there remain unchanged:
- journalists must have an ID and credentials from the Ministry of Defense (for working with soldiers and at shelling sites);
- refer to the UAF Commander-in-Chief’s Decree No. 73.
“We know who among the local journalists have been covering the war for a long time. So you don’t need a special permit from the GF to film the aftermath of air strikes. But you have to coordinate your actions with the State Emergency Service and the National Police, who also work at strike sites. Especially if there is a threat of a double-tap strike. To work with civilians, you generally don’t need a permit. However, safety protocols say you have to send word in advance when going to communities that are at an increased risk and under intense shelling,” said Mysnyk.
Rules for reporting in the areas overseen by the GF North:
- interviewing civilians: no advance notice or prior approval from the GF or military administrations needed;
- at shelling sites: no advance notice needed for local media. But taking into account the recommendations of the State Emergency Service and the National Police;
- interviewing soldiers: approval from the brigade command and the Defense Ministry needed;
- in combat areas: only with escort by servicemembers.
Among the areas overseen by GF North, increased shelling intensity is recorded in Glukhiv, Esman, Shostka, and communities along the border, Vadym Mysnyk said. Seredyna-Buda is nearly inaccessible for reporters, as it is impossible to travel there safely.
“If you are going to work in a combat zone, you must be accompanied by soldiers. Contact the GF North or the brigade command to ask if you can travel together with a mobile combat group. Because this is, above all, a matter of your safety,” added Vadym Mysnyk.
Kristina Chlek, Mediabaza Sumy communications manager
