Freelance Ukrainian journalist Kristina Berdynskykh, as pictured on June 7, 2022 reporting in the village of Ruska Lozova, Kharkiv region, for a story about a local millionaire who funded the defense of his region. (Photo: Oleksandr Medvedev)
Reflections from a year of reporting on the war in Ukraine
Dear Friend,
This week marks a year since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—a grim anniversary amid a conflict that continues to exact a brutal toll, including attacks on the journalists who have risked their lives to deliver the truth in a war mired in disinformation.
Since February 2022, 15 local and international journalists have been killed—13 in direct relation to their work. Countless others have been injured, and many are grappling with trauma.
To mark this sobering juncture in the conflict, the Committee to Protect Journalists is featuring the experiences of those whose daily work is an admirable feat of journalism that continues to hold both the invading power and national authorities to account. This year, CPJ has also advocated for protection measures and deployed tailored safety resources to support the press in Ukraine.
From the moment Russia launched its invasion, Ukrainian journalists quickly transformed into war correspondents. In a stirring feature, CPJ’s Emergencies Director Lucy Westcott highlights how journalists have been forced to adapt to their new roles, as new threats continue to emerge.
“If you decided to be a journalist and to be a reporter, and you have skills to do the proper reporting for the warzone, you just go and do that. It is kind of a duty.”
— Katerina Sergatskova, editor-in-chief of online news outlet Zaborona
Sergatskova spoke with CPJ’s Esha Sarai, telling the story of how Zaborona’s work as journalists has transformed over the course of the war. The video also features Anastasiya Stanko, a journalist and 2018 International Press Freedom Award recipient, and Sergiy Tomilenko, president of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine.
Since the start of the conflict, CPJ’s Emergencies team has received scores of requests from journalists for safety information. In response to an ever-evolving conflict, the team developed a WhatsApp chatbot that shares CPJ’s safety information directly with journalists reporting from Ukraine on demand.
With information available in English and Ukrainian, the chatbot automatically sends safety information directly to the phones of journalists, both local and international, who are working to cover the news on the ground in Ukraine. By ensuring that journalists in Ukraine can easily receive potentially lifesaving information, the platform reduces the barriers to access critical safety guidance, mitigating risks for journalists in the field.
Since the start of the conflict, CPJ has provided financial and other assistance to 200 journalists affected by the war in Ukraine, including the distribution of 100 individual first aid kits with gauze that can stop bleeding in 60 seconds.
Timely, factual, and independent reporting from and about Ukraine remains critical for the daily survival of Ukrainians and for the world to understand the realities of the conflict. From safety resources to medical kits, CPJ continues to stand by these journalists.
Sincerely,
Gypsy Guillén Kaiser
Director of Advocacy and Communications
