Ukraine: Russian Forces Shell Radio Svoboda Press Crew in Donetsk
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Russian aggression and the shelling of journalists reporting on the ground
Location: Ukraine, Donbas
Date: August 30, 2023
Ukrainian journalists with Radio Svoboda came under fire while reporting on Russia’s war in east Ukraine. Indiscriminate attacks, which fail to distinguish between military and civilian targets and affect journalists, are prohibited under international humanitarian law. Russian forces continue to target journalists, aiming to intimidate and suppress truth intentionally. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands Russia be held accountable for its targeting of the press and urges the International Criminal Court to investigate this attack.
Read the statement by CFWIJ and 23 other press freedom organizations calling for international organizations to take action against Russia and hold it accountable for its war crimes against journalists.
On August 30, a Radio Svoboda crew, consisting of reporter Yevhenia Kytayiva, cameraperson Anna Kudryavtseva, and driver Volodymyr Yavniuk, came under rocket fire while reporting in the Donbas region.
The shelling occurred during a Russian missile attack in an undisclosed location. It resulted in severe damage to the car they were driving. Fortunately, the crew members were not injured.
Car of Radio Svoboda crew shelled in Donetsk, August 30, 2023. Photo Credit: Anna Kudryavtseva
Kytayiva and Kudryavtseva are experienced front-line correspondents who recently joined Radio Svoboda, the Ukrainian-language service of the media corporation RFE/RL. Kudryavtseva has been filming at the front since 2014, while Kytayiva has been reporting in combat areas since 2015. The two journalists have been working together for seven years.
This attack on the Radio Liberty crew is just one example of the dangers faced by journalists in Ukraine. CFWIJ has documented the killing of at least five women journalists since Russia’s invasion in February 2022. Oksana Baulina, Oksana Haidar, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, Victoria Amelina, and Vira Hyrych have all lost their lives due to Russian forces' shelling.
These attacks on journalists' lives are part of Russia's broader strategy to intimidate the press in Ukraine. They also employ detentions and criminal prosecution to silence media workers and their relatives.
The attack on Yevhenia Kytayiva and Anna Kudryavtseva is a stark reminder of the risks journalists face in Ukraine. The continued deliberate shelling of journalists covering the war in Ukraine constitutes a flagrant international humanitarian law violation and a war crime under the Rome Statute and the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and UN Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists and media workers in armed conflict.
All international bodies investigating war crimes, including the ICC and the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, must gather and document evidence of war crimes targeting journalists.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Russia’s attacks on journalists reporting on the ground in Ukraine and urges the international community to denounce and investigate war crimes against journalists covering the conflict.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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