Russia’s Continued War on Journalism: Suspilne Dnipro Newsroom Severely Damaged in Drone Strike

Russia’s mass drone attack on Dnipro on the evening of November 17 struck the regional newsroom of Suspilne Dnipro and Ukrainian Radio, causing extensive destruction and triggering a large fire, according to the broadcaster. No staff were inside at the time of the attack, Suspilne reported on November 18.

Explosions shattered windows and doors, damaged the roof and internal structures, and partially collapsed ceilings and walls. The blast also destroyed the large ground-floor TV studio and severely damaged an annex.

“The most important thing is that all our colleagues are alive,” editor-in-chief Yevhen Pedashenko said, adding that the team continues broadcasting on national and digital platforms despite the damage.

According to newsroom manager Kateryna Lysiuk, up to 15 explosions hit the site. The central studio burned completely, and one of the outlet’s cars was destroyed. Staff later managed to retrieve a few surviving items—laptops, protective gear, several cameras—before fire crews again restricted access because of smoke and the risk of collapse, Suspilne wrote.

A film studio, “Kontrabas,” located inside the building, was also devastated. Co-founder Oleksandra Teslenko said the strike wiped out years of investment in sets, costumes, and professional equipment: “There is nothing left to record—everything burned.”

Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, condemned the Russian strike on the Ukrainian Public Broadcaster Suspilne in Dnipro in a post on X.

“The Ukrainian Public Broadcaster ‘Suspilne’ had its premises in Dnipro severely damaged as a result of Russian strike last evening. Luckily, journalists were not inside. We urge the international community to condemn this strike, as well as Russia’s continued war on journalism,” he stressed.

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov denounced the attack as a deliberate strike on civilian and media infrastructure, calling Russia’s actions “the behavior of scum who destroy everything they can reach.” He said Moscow is now targeting workplaces and newsrooms “to break people,” but stressed that such attacks would not succeed.

Previously, Ukraine marked Radio, Television and Communications Workers’ Day with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy honoring 21 media professionals for their contributions. Four were recognized posthumously after being killed as a result of Russia’s aggression.

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