Russia’s war kills 91 media representatives in Ukraine

As of 24 October, 91 media workers have died in Ukraine due to the Russian aggression, including 12 who were killed while performing their journalistic duties, according to Ukraine’s Institute of Mass Information (IMI).

Since the beginning of the all-out war in 2022, Russia has committed 664 crimes against journalists and media in Ukraine.

In September and October 2024, the IMI recorded 27 crimes by Russia against media and journalists, including killings, attacks on journalists and editorial offices, and cyberattacks.

In September, two media workers lost their lives due to Russian aggression – Stanislav Zhytnytskyi, a Ukrainian soldier and line producer for STB and the New Channel, and Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roschyna.

On 10 October 2024, Ukrainian deputies said Roshchyna died in the Russian captivity. According to a letter from the Russian Ministry of Defense received by her family that day, Viktoriya died on 19 September.

Ukrainian law enforcement initiated a criminal case regarding Roschyna’s disappearance as a war crime combined with intentional murder.

Roman Pahulych, a correspondent for “Donbas Realities”, a project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, suffered a concussion while filming with operator Pavlo Kholodov near Bakhmut after they were hit by Russian artillery.

Additionally, the Federal Security Service of Russia continued to launch criminal cases against journalists who filmed reports in the Sudzha area of Kursk Oblast, citing illegal border crossing as the reason.

Those targeted include Fletcher Young and Catherine Diss from Australian ABC News; Romanian freelancer Mircea Barbu from HotNews; France 24 journalist Catherine Norris Trent; and reporter Kurt Pelda from the Swiss media holding CH Media.

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