Journalists’ Solidarity Centers

What is the Network of Journalists’ Solidarity Centers?

The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers are a network launched by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) with the support of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and UNESCO after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Centers provide free practical help to Ukrainian and international journalists and media workers covering the war. The network currently operates in Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.

What help do the Centers offer?

• Free rental of protective equipment: bulletproof vests, helmets and individual first aid kits (IFAKs).
• Free rental of drone detectors, available in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Kyiv.
• Safe coworking spaces with backup power and internet, so you can keep working during blackouts.
• Remote consultations for journalists anywhere in Ukraine or abroad.
• Legal assistance, support with press accreditation, and guidance in case of detention or other threats.
• Safety briefings and one-on-one consultations before assignments to frontline and high-risk areas.
• Psychosocial support, including trauma counseling and peer mentoring.
• Courses in tactical medicine, mine awareness, digital safety and psychological resilience.

How can I contact the Centers?

Foreign journalists working in Ukraine or planning a trip here are welcome to contact the network. For security reasons, our team checks every request before responding, so please attach your press accreditation from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and/or the press card issued in your home country.

For general questions, email: [email protected] (Mykyta Golovchenko).

For help in a specific region, message our regional coordinators on WhatsApp:

• Kyiv – WhatsApp: +380 50 680 52 04 (Illia Suzdaliev);
• Zaporizhzhia – WhatsApp: +380 96 277 53 52 (Nataliya Kuzmenko, Valentyna Manzhura);
• Dnipro – WhatsApp: +380 50 919 84 79 (Nataliya Nazarova);
• Kharkiv – WhatsApp: +380 95 421 54 77 (Hanna Chernenko);
• Sumy – WhatsApp: +380 50 582 25 17 (Volodymyr Sadivnychyi);
• Lviv – WhatsApp: +380 97 907 97 02 (Nataliya Voitovych);
• Ivano-Frankivsk – WhatsApp: +380 66 677 07 26 (Viktoriia Plakhta).

We recommend contacting the network before you arrive in Ukraine, especially if you plan to work near the front line. A safety briefing, borrowed protective gear and a local coordinator’s contact details can save time on the ground and reduce the risks of the assignment.