{
  "id": 16716573,
  "title": "Ukrainian media face pressure as they step up scrutiny of authorities in wartime",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/27/ukrainian-media-face-pressure-as-they-step-up-scrutiny-of-authorities",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-27T06:00:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Kyiv Independent",
    "slug": "kyiv-independent",
    "url": "https://kyivindependent.com/ukrainian-media-face-pressure-as-they-step-up-scrutiny-of-authorities-in-wartime/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian independent media have intensified their investigations into corruption among top officials and abuse within the military, despite facing numerous challenges and risks. However, this work has come at a significant cost, with Ukrainian media enduring a surge of lawsuits, controversial court rulings, threats, and smear campaigns on social media. Inna Vedernikova, a journalist at the Ukrainian newspaper Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, expressed to the Kyiv Independent that an environment is gradually emerging where it is becoming increasingly difficult for journalists to carry out their duties. Despite the pressure and nearly five years of operating under full-scale invasion and martial law, the journalistic community remains resilient. According to the Reporters Without Borders 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Ukraine has climbed seven places to 55th worldwide, surpassing countries like the U.S. and some European nations. However, Ukrainian journalists and editors paint a less optimistic picture, citing persistent threats that hinder the ability to hold power accountable. When Russia invaded, Ukrainian journalists temporarily put aside criticism of the government, focusing on the war effort. This wartime consensus began to disintegrate several months into the invasion, leading to the first corruption investigations in late 2022. As independent media resumed their scrutiny of the government, those under scrutiny responded with retaliation, including surveillance, persecution by law enforcement, and shifting pressure towards courts and online smear campaigns. The most direct pushback has come through courts and parliament, with a defining moment occurring in July when a Ukrainian court banned the Anti-Corruption Action Center, Slidstvo.info, and journalist Alina Stryzhak from publishing a specific investigative report. This report exposed the brother of Oleksiy Sukhachov, head of the State Investigation Bureau, as the owner of a large real estate portfolio. Although courts had previously allowed libel lawsuits against Ukrainian media, a ban on an investigative report before publication was unprecedented. Journalists have long faced such pressure, with Hromadske's head of investigations, Yaroslava Volvach, noting that pro-Russian ex-President Viktor Yanukovych's ally, Andriy Portnov, had sued Hromadske and the Kyiv Independent’s editor-in-chief for libel in 2023-2024. However, the Supreme Court overturned these suits in May 2026. In October 2025, the Supreme Court further restricted media reporting by banning Dzerkalo Tyzhnia from naming a suspect in a criminal case and ordering the outlet to remove the suspect's name from its publication. This approach contradicts European standards, as Vedernikova stated that a journalist cannot declare someone guilty of a crime before a court has convicted them. However, informing the public about a person being formally named a suspect by law enforcement is a different matter. Parliament may exacerbate the pressure further, as discussed in the report.",
  "summary": "Over the past year, Ukrainian independent media have stepped up investigations into corruption among top officials and abuse in the military, despite the constraints and risks of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Yet this work is coming at a cost. Ukrainian media have faced a wave of lawsuits, controversial court rulings, threats, and smear campaigns on social media. \"An environment is gradually…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}