THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Even under the pressure of war, the newspaper Ridne Misto, published in Myrnohrad, Donetsk Oblast, has never stopped printing. Throughout this challenging time, its editorial staff has worked tirelessly to ensure that each new issue reaches its readers. The part of the team that stayed in the city until the last moment left only in September 2024. At that time, they were separated from the front line by just 2 kilometers. Maksym Zabelia, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, shares where they draw their strength from and how they manage to keep the printed word alive.
Currently, the newspaper is published every two weeks with 12 pages per issue. This year, its circulation exceeded three thousand copies. Four people work on the newspaper remotely, and over the years, they have become like a family to each other. On the pages of Ridne Misto, they write about events in Myrnohrad, stories of military personnel and volunteers, as well as practical advice for their readers. The publication serves both those who have left and those who have stayed. The editor-in-chief continues to travel to his hometown to verify all information firsthand.
The editorial board of Ridne Misto felt the threat of Russian aggression as far back as 2014. Even then, the newspaper adjusted its information policy and changed its content. Although at that time Myrnohrad was not under heavy shelling, the editorial staff understood the potential danger. Despite the risks, the newspaper continued to grow and gain momentum.
“That’s when we realized we needed to introduce our readers to the Ukrainian word,” says Maksym Zabelia. “By the time of the full-scale invasion, 95% of our content was in Ukrainian. Our newspaper remained the most popular print media in the region, with a circulation of over 6,000 copies. The weekly became a full-color publication, and we even increased the number of pages. At one point, we were publishing 16 pages. These changes helped us maintain a high level of trust among our audience and remain a successful local media outlet.”
On the eve of February 24, 2022, the Ridne Misto editorial board sent the latest issue of the newspaper to the printer. At the time, they were working with the Kharkiv-based Factor Printing House. However, the printing house stopped answering calls. On the day of the full-scale invasion, Maksym Zabelia scrambled to find an alternative printing house. Since then, they have been working with the Kramatorsk Printing House.
“The only thing that guided us was the demand from our readers. We felt their support,” the editor recalls. “In those early days, the situation was very difficult. Colleagues in Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Dobropillia, and Selydove stopped printing. In such uncertain circumstances, it would have been easy to follow suit. But we couldn’t afford that for several reasons. First, we knew the Armed Forces of Ukraine were holding the line. Second, we had already received subscription payments from readers. How could we fail to fulfill our obligations to them, especially during wartime?”
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the newspaper continued to be published, but due to the suspension of Ukrposhta branches, subscribers received their copies of Ridne Misto only weeks later. “We compensated for this period of forced downtime by printing additional copies,” says Maksym Zabelia. By the end of last year, the newspaper’s circulation had halved due to the advancing front line and the evacuation of the local population. The readership of Ridne Misto is divided into two groups: those who stayed in the city and those who left. The editorial team tries to balance its content to meet the needs of both audiences. Residents remaining in Myrnohrad need information about humanitarian aid, how to access public services remotely, or evacuation options. Meanwhile, internally displaced persons (IDPs) want updates on what is happening at home, whether their homes are intact, and how their friends and neighbors are doing.
“Due to constant electricity outages and interruptions in mobile communication, the importance of print media as a source of information in frontline cities has grown,” says Maksym Zabelia. “For many residents of Myrnohrad who fled due to constant shelling, the newspaper is not just a paper medium. For them, it is an emotional connection to their home community. And we are committed to providing that connection as long as we have the strength and resources to do so.”
The editor-in-chief recalls that readers in Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, and Poltava regions contacted them to ask how they could receive the newspaper. In response, the team began distributing copies at evacuation hubs where Myrnohrad residents were staying. About two and a half thousand people stayed behind. During this time, the editorial staff created a universal “IDP map” to help each person quickly navigate the community. The newspaper was filled with information about social assistance points, where to find housing, work, psychological help, and other forms of support. Journalists began writing stories about these displaced individuals. They compiled approximately 30 eyewitness accounts of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation and the brutality of its army.
“Through the stories published in the newspaper, the IDPs got to know each other, helped each other, and exchanged contacts,” says the editor-in-chief. “Some managed to get assistance with restoring their documents, some found jobs, and others secured free housing. We realized we were doing something meaningful and helping people through incredibly difficult times.”
The Myrnohrad newspaper Ridne Misto has a devoted group of loyal readers. Among them is 97-year-old Petro Rohach, who has been subscribing to the newspaper since its inception. At the start of the full-scale war, when most of Ukraine’s print media stopped publishing due to the fighting, Petro Rohach assumed *Ridne Misto* had ceased operations too. As a result, he didn’t check his mailbox. Weeks later, the postman called to ask why he wasn’t picking up his copies of the newspaper.
“Then he went to his mailbox and found three issues of the newspaper waiting for him,” says Maksym Zabelia. “He was in tears, saying, ‘How is it possible that newspapers in Kyiv aren’t being published, but mine from Myrnohrad still is?’”
Before the war, the financial stability of the editorial office was based on subscriptions, advertising revenue, and coverage contracts. However, due to the mass evacuation of residents, the number of subscribers has decreased significantly, and advertising revenue has virtually disappeared. Today, the editorial team is constantly searching for grant support. “In 2022, we managed without donor assistance because we still had funds from subscriptions. In 2023, we began participating in grant projects,” says Maksym Zabelia. “We also turned to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, which has supported us and continues to do so.”
The editor-in-chief has taken on a new role in addition to his duties as a publisher: grant manager. “Unfortunately, there is no state program to support the frontline press in the same way national TV channels are funded through the information telethon. There is no stable grant program lasting at least six months,” he laments. “We can handle the logistics, changes to working hours, and other organizational challenges, but the uncertainty is very hard to deal with.”
Despite these challenges, he emphasizes that he will not give up and will continue publishing the newspaper with whatever resources are available. Maksym Zabelia began his career at Ridne Misto as a photojournalist before transitioning into writing. He later became the deputy editor-in-chief and has now led the editorial team for 11 years. “No matter how pretentious it may sound, working at a newspaper is 80 percent of my life,” he says. “It’s very hard to imagine losing it all. My colleagues and I held on to faith and hope until the very last moment that the front line would hold. Now, we will continue looking for new opportunities to survive.”
Created as part of the project “Raising awareness among target groups in Ukraine and abroad about Russian war crimes against journalists in 2024 and increasing public pressure for the release of captured journalists”, which is implemented by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine with support of the Swedish non-profit human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.
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