1000 days of war — how many journalists died from Russian terror

Exactly 1000 days have passed since the beginning of the full-scale war that Russia launched against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. During these days, Ukrainians have seen their homes and cities being destroyed, our soldiers fighting desperately, and the Russian authorities brutally exterminating our talents.

Today, the editors of Novyny.LIVE would like to remember our colleagues, journalists who died from Russian terror during the full-scale war.

Russia kills at work and at home

According to the latest data from the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, at least 103 media workers have been killed by the occupiers since the beginning of the great war.

Among them are 18 journalists who died in the line of duty (along with journalists from other countries — Ed.); 9 civilian victims; 79 media representatives who died while serving in the Armed Forces.

"If Russia had not unleashed this shameful war, all of our colleagues, journalists and media workers, could have continued to work successfully, create high-quality information content for their audience — write articles, make reports, shoot TV stories and documentaries, benefit people, and contribute to Ukrainian and world culture. But the aggressor state decided that it was better for them to die, to leave their families in grief, and for people to be uninformed, deceived by Russian propaganda and intimidated", — said the head of the the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Serhii Tomilenko. 

Losses in the team Novyny.LIVE

The Novyny.LIVE editorial staff also lost colleagues due to the bloody terror of the Russian Federation.

On March 1, 2022, during another missile attack on Kyiv, the Russian Federation hit the capital's TV tower and killed five people, including the cameraman of the LIVE media holding Yevhen Sakun. His burned body was identified by a press card. Yevhen and his team were working on a story when the rocket attack on the TV tower began.

Our team also lost a regional journalist from Kharkiv — Bohdan Zatula. Bohdan filmed original stories for Novyny.LIVE. On July 31, 2024, the 28-year-old journalist was mobilized to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and on August 26, during a powerful artillery attack, he died.

"Our editorial team is proud that Yevhen and Bohdan were part of our team. For us, this is an irreparable loss that will remain with us forever. We once again extend our condolences to the families of our fallen colleagues. We now have personal scores to settle with the occupiers", — said Olena Khalik, editor-in-chief of Novyny.LIVE.

Journalists who died in the line of duty

• Viktoriia Roshchyna — a journalist with Hromadske and a freelance contributor for Ukrayinska Pravda, went missing on August 3, 2023, while visiting occupied territories to document the daily lives of local residents. In April 2024, Russian authorities admitted to detaining her, sparking negotiations for her release. Tragically, on September 19, 2024, Viktoria passed away while being transported from Taganrog to Moscow.
• Ihor Hudenko — was a Ukrainian photographer and video blogger. He disappeared in Kharkiv on February 26, 2022 during a shelling, his body was found on February 27, 2022. 
• Maksym Levin — Ukrainian photojournalist, correspondent for LB.ua and other publications. He went missing on March 13, 2022. On April 1, 2022, he was found dead near the village of Huta-Mezhyhirska, Kyiv region. An investigation by Reporters Without Borders found that he had been tortured and executed.
• Oleksandra Kuvshynova — was a Ukrainian journalist, fixer, and producer for Fox News. She died on March 14, 2022, along with Irish journalist Pierre Zakrzewski, when their car came under fire in the village of Horenka, Kyiv region.
• Yevhen Bal — Ukrainian journalist and writer, volunteer. He died on April 2, 2022, after being tortured by the Russian military in Mariupol.
• Roman Nezhyborets — Ukrainian media worker, video engineer of the Chernihiv-based Dytinets TV channel. He was killed in the village of Yahidne near Chernihiv in early April 2022.
• Zoreslav Zamoiskyi — was a Ukrainian journalist for the publications Hromada Pryirpynnia and Informatsiinyi Portal. His body with signs of violent death was found on April 13, 2022 in Bucha, Kyiv region.
• Bohdan Bitik — a Ukrainian freelancer, was killed on April 26, 2023, by a Russian bullet near the Antonivskyi Bridge in Kherson, while helping Italian journalist Corrado Zunino.
• Viktoriia Amelina — was a Ukrainian writer and war crimes documentarian. Died on July 1, 2023, as a result of injuries sustained during a rocket attack by Russians on the center of Kramatorsk on June 27, 2023.
• Volodymyr Myroniuk — was a Ukrainian and American freelance photojournalist. He died while shooting a photo report on September 25, 2023 in Donbas near Kurdyumivka.

Journalists who became civilian victims of Russian terror

• Dilerbek Shakerov —  Ukrainian journalist of the news weekly "Around You", member of the "House of Hope" Charitable Foundation. He was shot with an automatic weapon on February 26 in Zelenivka, Kherson region.
• Pavlo Li — Ukrainian actor, host of the Dom TV channel, volunteer. He was shot dead on March 6, 2022, in Irpin, Kyiv region, by the Russian military.
• Viktor Diedov — Ukrainian cameraman of the Sigma TV channel. He died on March 11, 2022, in Mariupol as a result of a shelling of his home.
• Oksana Haidar ("Ruda pani") — was a Ukrainian journalist and blogger. She died during the shelling of the village of Shevchenkove, Brovary district, Kyiv region, by Russian artillery between March 11 and 12, 2022.
• Liliia Humianova — Ukrainian journalist, journalism teacher. She died on March 19, 2022 as a result of Russian shelling of Mariupol.
• Natalia Kharakoz — was a Ukrainian journalist and writer. She died as a result of the Russian bombing of Mariupol on March 29, 2022.
• Valeriia Hlodan — a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism at Mechnikov Odesa National University, was on maternity leave. She died with her mother and 3-month-old daughter on April 23, 2022, as a result of a rocket attack on Odesa.
• Vira Hyrych — Ukrainian journalist, producer of Radio Liberty. She died as a result of the Russian shelling of Kyiv on April 28, 2022.
• Volodymyr Datsenko — Ukrainian public figure, volunteer, Aidar soldier, journalist for the publication Road Control Vinnytsia. He died on July 14, 2022, during a rocket attack on Vinnytsia.

Many journalists also gave their lives protecting Ukrainians on the front line. They left their press cards behind and received a military ID instead.

For 1,000 days now, Russian terror has been taking away Ukraine's best asset — its talented, educated, hardworking and incredibly beautiful people.

Today, the editorial team of Novyny.LIVE appeals to all the families of our fallen colleagues — we remember them and will continue to remind the whole world of their lives cut short by the bloodthirstiness of the Russian Federation.