Truth Comes with a Price: Journalists Killed by Russia in Russo-Ukrainian War

It was past midnight on February 24th, 2022, when a group of journalists arrived in Mariupol, Ukraine. No one was certain, but everyone could sense that something very bad would happen very soon. Mariupol, a city with a strategic meaning and important geographical position, seemed like an obvious target for an attack. Rushing not towards safety but towards potential danger, choosing to be the eyes and ears of whatever-was-to-come, a group of journalists drove to Mariupol just an hour before Vladimir Putin’s infamous speech and the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Amongst these journalists were director Mstyslav Chernov, photographer Evgen Maloletka, and producer Vasylisa Stepanenko. They spent 20 days in the city, filming everything that was going on and saving evidence of Russian crimes against civilians. These tapes were later turned into the documentary “20 Days in Mariupol”, and two years after that, in March 2024, Chernov, Maloletka and Stepanenko stood on the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, receiving the first Oscar in Ukrainian history.

Mstyslav Chernov (in the center), Evgen Maloletka (on his right), Vasilisa Stepanenko (on his left). (Photo Credit: IMDb)

“I cannot change the past,” Chernov declared from the stage that night. “But we all together (…) we can make sure that the history record is set straight, and that the truth will prevail, and that the people of Mariupol and those who had given their lives will never be forgotten.” 

Chernov and his colleagues risked their lives, making sure that the world would see the truth about what Russia did in Mariupol. After spending the first 20 days of the full-scale invasion in the city, they managed to evacuate with the help of a local family. In a barely functioning car, with hidden journalist equipment, with material stored on various devices, they crossed 15 Russian checkpoints. At each of these checkpoints they ran the risk of car inspection, Russians finding the equipment and killing all of the passengers.

Mariupol, Evgen Maloletka. (Photo Credit: Mstyslav Chernov, Радіо Свобода)

Chernov and his team were lucky, if one could even use the word luck in such horrific circumstances.

They lived to tell the story.

But many others did not. 

***

Yevhen Sakun is considered to be the first journalist to be killed since the start of the full-scale invasion. It happened on March 1st 2022, when he and four other civilians were killed in a Russian missile attack on Kyiv TV Tower, a media facility that had no military purposes. 

Brend Renau (USA) was the first international journalist killed during the full-scale invasion. He was shot on March 13th in Irpin, near Kyiv. A day later, Pierre Zakrzewski (French-Irish) was killed while working for Fox News in Horenka, outside of Kyiv. Ukrainian producer Oleksandra Kuvshynova was killed alongside him. She was 24 years old.

Oleksandra Kuvshynova (left) and Pierre Zakrzewski (right). (Photo Credit: Lucas Tomlinson. CPJ)

***

According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Ukraine was recognized as the most dangerous country for journalists in 2022, with 12 confirmed cases of journalists’ deaths in that year alone. Ongoing war and relentless Russian attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure leave no doubt that today’s situation remains as dangerous as ever.

IFJ’s Annual Report on Journalists and Media Staff Killed in 2022 (Photo Credit: IFJ)

According to UNESCO’s Observatory of Killed Journalists, since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion there have been 26 confirmed cases of journalists being killed by Russia while performing their professional duties. If we were to count the total number of killed journalists - in civil life and those who stopped their career and joined the Ukrainian Army, then, according to The National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, this number would be around 138. 

***

Ukrainian journalist Maks Levin was working near Kyiv, documenting the first weeks of the Russian full-scale invasion. This folder with his pictures will forever remain in its “last edited on March 10th 2022” status. Three days later, on March 13th, Levin went missing. According to the RSF’s investigation, Levin and his friend, soldier Oleksiy Chernyshov, were executed by Russians, with evidence of possible interrogation and torture inflicted on them before death. His body was found on April 1st.

 ***

On the international level journalists in areas of armed conflict are protected by several documents:

Under the Geneva Conventions (1949) and Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (1977) journalists are recognized as part of the civilian population, and under Article 85, an attack on the civilian population is labeled as a war crime.

Journalists could lose their civilian status and become targets only if they take part in fighting (Article 79). The same goes for media facilities: they are recognized as civilian objects, unless they in any way are used for military purposes (contain military personnel, equipment or make contribution to the war effort).

Article 8 of Statute of the International Criminal Court elaborates on the definition, characteristics and conditions of a war crime against civilians, which concerns journalists as well.

UN Security Council Resolutions 1738 (2006) and 2222 (2015) yet again consider journalists as civilians under international humanitarian law and condemn any violence towards them.

But are these documents able to effectively protect journalists in Ukraine and stop Russia from turning them into targets? 

***

Mantas Kvedaravičius (LT) traveled to Mariupol amidst the Russian occupation of the city in March 2022. He wanted to provide humanitarian aid to people remaining in the city, and to work on the sequel of his documentary film “Mariupolis”. Two weeks later his wife found his body in a pile of garbage on the streets of Mariupol and took him back to Lithuania to be buried. The exact details of his death remain unknown. 

***

The Geneva Conventions were ratified by the USSR back in 1954, which automatically means that Russia, as the successor of the USSR, recognizes it as well. Russia also voted in favour of UN Security Council Resolutions 1738 and 2222. One may think that recognizing these documents means that Russia will act accordingly and will not inflict any harm upon journalists or civilians in general. Democratic on paper, Russia rarely troubles itself with sticking to signed agreements, nor does it give much value to its own promises.

The thing is that, in 2019, Russia withdrew from Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. Articles of this Protocol regulate matters such as the treatment of civilian population in armed conflicts and what defines a war crime. Russian withdrawal is loud and clear. By looking at Article 85 of the Additional Protocol, it is difficult to miss that Russia is now doing in Ukraine exactly what Article 85 defines as a war crime. What’s more, according to Article 57 of the Additional Protocol, from which Russia withdrew so wickedly, it is mandatory to give advance warning of an attack to the civilian population if that population may be affected. This sounds impossible, and to some extent ridiculous, when we consider how Russia deliberately attacks the Ukrainian population at night, when people are more vulnerable and off guard.

Russians struck this residential building in Ternopil, killing 34 civilians. November 19th 2025. (Photo Credit: Andriy Bodak/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Journalists in Ukraine, domestic as well as foreign, pay a high price for documenting and reporting from dangerous sites and active war zones. Look at these photo digests posted regularly by the Ukraїner media platform. Take a moment to realize that journalists, together with soldiers, firefighters, and doctors, are the first ones to arrive on the scene and engage in situations no matter how potentially dangerous they may be. Pictures of the consequences of Russian missile strikes, of destroyed towns in the East, of liberated areas, and of combat conditions exist only because journalists constantly put their lives at risk. And this risk is great. 

Only in the last month (November 2025), there were 16 documented incidents of violence from  the Russian side concerning journalists (2 attempted murders, 14 damaged media property or facilities). The situation becomes even more dangerous due to the increasing use of FPV drones. 

***

On October 23d 2025 Russia launched a drone attack in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, killing journalist Olena Hramova and operator Yevhen Karmazin, and injuring special correspondent Oleksandr Kolychiev, who managed to survive. As for now, this is the latest attack on journalists by Russia. But, unfortunately, not the last. 

***

“My brain will desperately want to forget all this. But the camera will not let it happen,” Chernov says in the trailer to “20 Days in Mariupol”.

Today Mstyslav Chernov continues to document the Russo-Ukrainian war. (Photo Credit: Радіо Свобода.)

There are no possible solutions for protecting journalists or ensuring that every civilian going to sleep at night will see the dawn. Nowadays, Russia launches more drones and missiles every single night. Nowadays, the sun rises late.

There is no use in signing new documents with those whose signatures have no meaning. There is no use in believing in the words of those who have never told a word of truth. Truth always comes with a price. The main question is: who is going to cover the bill?

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