As the war in Ukraine enters its second week, independent media across the country – including many of our current and former clients – are continuing to provide real-time coverage of the Russian invasion and the unfolding humanitarian disaster.
Liga.net continues to provide live news from Kyiv as the capital’s 3 million inhabitants suffer intense Russian bombardment, including in English. Using a network of contributors and other sources from across the country, the digital news site is providing live coverage in Russian of unfolding events in the capital, as well as updates from across Ukraine, with hard news supplemented by useful information for citizens.
In the east of the country, Melitopolske Vedomosti is also providing the latest news on the war. The newspaper and website focuses on local developments, for example reporting that Russian troops have been warning residents that there is a ban on rallies in Melitopol, possibly in response to the daily gathering of about one thousand people, who meet to sing the national anthem and wave Ukrainian flags.
Express in Lviv is publishing extensive coverage of the invasion and its impact on the citizens. Recent features include reports from the Polish border as hundreds of thousands of people seek refuge abroad and interviews with military volunteers to find out their motivations for enlisting.
The editorial offices of Express and Gazeta Wyborcza, the leading independent Polish daily and news portal which is also an MDIF client, prepared a special free newspaper for Ukrainians fleeing the war (download here: https://t.co/y9Yv2wbDfV). On the morning of 28 February, 20,000 copies were distributed at border crossings and at other locations where war refugees have been arriving. Editors from the two publishers will assess developments in the war as they consider future reprints and updates.
Also in the west of the country, which has so far been spared violence, Molodoy Bukowinetz is reporting on local news and developments in the war, particularly how it impacts on the Chernivitsi region. For example, the newspaper captures the local mood in a report on the dismantling of a Russian tank which had been displayed as a memorial to the region’s liberation from Nazi occupation in the Second World War.
These is just a small selection of some of the incredible work being done by independent media across Ukraine.
Read our statement of support for Ukrainian media.