Russia has attacked Ukrainian media outlets 72 times during the full-scale war - IMI

According to information provided by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), Russia has conducted 72 attacks on Ukrainian media outlets during the ongoing full-scale war. This number is striking and indicates a deliberate campaign with the objective of undermining the information infrastructure of Ukraine.

IMI noted that some media outlets have been attacked multiple times, underscoring the systematic nature of this phenomenon. The geography of these attacks spans 12 regions of Ukraine, indicating that Russian forces are attempting to destroy independent sources of information throughout the country.

In particular, the highest number of attacks—13—was recorded in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. A significant portion of the damage in these areas occurred in the years 2025-2026, which correlates with the intensity of Russian missile and drone attacks on the capital and its outskirts.

Following Kyiv, the frontline and southern regions of Ukraine have experienced the next highest levels of destruction and damage. Specifically, the Zaporizhzhia region has reported 10 attacks, the Sumy region has seen 9, while both the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions have experienced 8 incidents each. Tragically, in the Kherson and Luhansk regions, there have been instances of complete destruction of media outlets, attributed to prolonged combat operations and the occupation of these territories.

In the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions, damages caused by Russian shelling are frequently recorded, further highlighting the dangers faced by journalists and media in these areas.

Regarding the types of media targeted, online media outlets suffered the most, with 24 recorded attacks. Print and television media were affected in 21 cases. Radio stations were the least impacted, with 4 incidents, while other formats faced 2 attacks. These figures emphasize that regardless of the media format, Russian aggression aims to obliterate all sources of information that can provide Ukrainians with truthful news.

"Overall, this data points to a deliberate strategy by Russia to undermine the Ukrainian information space—irrespective of the media format or region. The destruction of media outlets not only complicates the work of journalists but also limits citizens' access to verified information, especially in frontline and temporarily occupied areas," IMI emphasized.

Furthermore, IMI has documented at least 24 publicly known attacks by Russia on Ukrainian television towers and other television infrastructure across 12 regions of Ukraine. The highest number of such incidents has been recorded in the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kherson regions. Strikes on civilian television infrastructure have also been noted in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, and Rivne regions.

As reported by Ukrinform, on March 29, 2026, a controlled aerial bomb dropped by Russian forces destroyed the editorial office of the newspaper "Mezhivskyi Meridian" in the Dnipropetrovsk region. This incident serves as a stark example of how the war impacts the media environment in Ukraine.

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