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26 Ukrainian Journalists Detained by Russian Forces, Says Ukraine’s Ombudsman
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Ukraine’s Ombudsman for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, stated that 26 Ukrainian journalists and media workers are being unlawfully detained by Russian forces, with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirming the detention of only one individual.
Lubinets made these remarks during a roundtable discussion titled “Resilience and Wellbeing of Ukrainian Media Professionals in Wartime,” as reported by the Ukrinform correspondent on March 24.
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“In 2025, our large team, which focuses on returning Ukrainian citizens—including civilian hostages, prisoners of war, and children—managed to bring back only three Ukrainian journalists,” Lubinets said.
He went on to inform the public that, as of today, 26 journalists and media workers remain unlawfully held in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and within Russia itself.
“At the same time, the International Committee of the Red Cross has only officially confirmed the detention of one person. The rest are not legally acknowledged by the ICRC, which presents an additional barrier to both their return and ongoing negotiations,” Lubinets explained.
Ombudsman added that, according to Reporters Without Borders, 175 journalists—both Ukrainian and international—have been harmed by actions from the Russian Federation during the ongoing war. The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine reports that 21 media workers have lost their lives while carrying out their professional duties since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
The threat to Ukrainian journalists remains significant, but their commitment to documenting the situation continues. During a reporting mission on the frontline, UNITED24 Media cameraman Yegor Terletskyi and reporter Philip Malzahn were targeted by a Russian first-person-view drone. The drone, controlled via fiber-optic cable, had been positioned along the roadside, and footage of the attack has been released by the 65th Brigade of Russia’s Airborne Assault Forces.
Thanks to the quick response of Ukrainian soldiers accompanying them, the journalists were able to exit their vehicle moments before the drone struck. Despite the ongoing risks, Ukrainian media professionals remain dedicated to covering the war.
In October 2025, French photojournalist Anthony Lallican was killed near Druzhkivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region due to a Russian FPV drone strike.
Ukrainian journalist and photographer Hryhorii Ivanchenko, a member of the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers, was also injured in the attack.
The tragedy was reported by Ukraine’s 4th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, which confirmed that both journalists were wearing protective vests marked with the word “PRESS.”
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
