Vladyslav Hershon, Yana Suvorova, Iryna Danylovych, Aziz Azizov… The names of the 26 Ukrainian journalists arbitrarily detained by Russia — some of them held for nearly ten years — were displayed on the empty chairs lined up in Saint Sophia Square, in the heart of Kyiv., The “Empty Chairs” campaign is led by the Center for Civil Liberties, the Ukrainian organisation awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, and PEN Ukraine, in partnership with RSF. In addition to bringing attention to the writers and activists imprisoned by the Kremlin, the campaign highlighted the 70 Ukrainian civilians arbitrarily detained by Russia. Ukrainian journalists Dmytro Khyliuk and Vladyslav Yesypenko, who were released in 2025, spoke about their detention.

“Twenty-six Ukrainian journalists are currently rotting in the Kremlin’s jails, and being silenced for having shown what was really happening in the territories occupied by Russia. Moscow has plunged them into a living, carceral hell. Sentenced to outrageous prison terms or awaiting trial, these civilians are isolated and beaten behind bars. RSF calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Hunted down in the occupied territories

Media professionals who document the situation in the occupied territories without reproducing Russian propaganda are systematically targeted by Moscow. In prison, they suffer abuse; some, like Anastasia Hlukhovska, are held incommunicado. At least 15 of them have been sentenced to prison terms of up to 19 years on baseless charges of “terrorism” or “espionage.” The Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna, arrested by Russia in August 2023, died in detention in September 2024 after being tortured.

If you have information on Ukrainian journalists killed or detained by Russia, you can write to us securely at ua-investigation@rsfsecure.org 

Ukraine and Russia rank 62nd and 171st, respectively, out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.