THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Ukrainian flag signed by journalists from Izium, Kramatorsk, Sloviyansk, Kyiv, and Kharkiv, has been handed by Sergiy Tomilenko, the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), over to the headquarters of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) during the EFJ Annual Meeting held in Pristina, Kosovo.
“Literally an hour before the start of our meeting, Vasyl Miroshnyk, the editor of a front-line newspaper from Kharkiv, called me. He wanted to print a newspaper. And he couldn’t… Before his eyes, russian missiles destroyed a newspaper and book printing factory, and workers were killed. I urge you to continue to support courageous Ukrainian journalists who take risks but perform their professional duties,” said Sergiy Tomilenko, addressing almost a hundred delegates of the EFJ Meeting.
EFJ President Maja Sever received the flag, as well as the NUJU Special Award for the solidarity and constant support of Ukrainian journalists during the war.
The EFJ meeting continues in Pristina on May 23-24. Delegates representing more than 70 journalist unions and associations in Europe are expected to support special appeals in solidarity with Ukrainian journalists held captive by russia and in support of economic support programs for Ukrainian media.
Here is the text of Sergiy Tomilenko‘s speech.
Greetings, dear colleagues!
It is a great honor to be with you today. Our meeting is extremely important. First of all, because of your solidarity in supporting Ukrainian journalists who continue to fulfill their professional duty in these dark times.
Vasyl Miroshnyk, the editor of a front-line newspaper from Kharkiv, called me just an hour before the start of our congress. He wanted to print a newspaper. And he couldn’t… Before his eyes, russian missiles destroyed a newspaper and book printing plant; workers were killed. I urge you to continue to support courageous Ukrainian journalists who take risks but perform their professional duties.
Shelter, helmet – all these words were almost never used by Ukrainian journalists before the beginning of the full-scale invasion. But now, these words have entered everyday language. And unfortunately, there is no safe place in Ukraine that would not be under the threat of russian attacks and shelling.
I would like to point out that today, the entire Ukrainian society, and in particular the journalistic community as its organic part, has been attacked by russia. As of today, the war has taken the lives of at least 90 media workers, 16 of whom were killed in the line of duty.
Dozens of Ukrainian journalists passed through russian torture chambers. Currently, at least 30 Ukrainian citizen journalists are being held in russian prisons.
Among the hostage journalists are professional and citizen journalists, women and men, ethnic Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, russians, Orthodox and Muslims, agnostics and atheists, singles, and parents of large families. All of them are united by the fact that they are not guilty of anything and suffer only because of their profession – a journalist. I want to emphasize the importance of our joint solidarity with these colleagues so that a way is found for their release.
Journalists in Ukraine lose not only their freedom and life but also their health, property, newsrooms, and the opportunity to remain in their profession. They are forced to move away from the front, but even there, danger awaits them.
In recent months, russia has caused significant damage to the Ukrainian energy system. Temporary power outages are already occurring in various regions of Ukraine, and this may become a terrible problem next winter. Blackouts are a real test of strength for the media, which have to work despite the absence of power supply and the cold in the newsrooms.
I have a special application on my smartphone, and it informs me when the lights go out in the office of the Union on Central Street in the capital. And informs when the lights are turned off at my home address.
Thanks to the Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC), created by the NUJU with the support of UNESCO, IFJ, and EFJ, today journalists from Kharkiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Chernivtsi have a place to work.
Today, the most difficult situation is in Kharkiv near the front, where journalists live and work under shelling around the clock. Thanks to the work of the Kharkiv JSC, journalists can charge their gadgets, have access to uninterrupted Internet, and get bulletproof vests, helmets, and tactical first-aid kits.
But the JSCs need further support. Already now, we have to prepare for the coming difficult winter. In view of the new mass shelling and numerous victims, the events that must be covered, there is more work for both Ukrainian and foreign journalists. Therefore, new bulletproof vests and other protective equipment are needed. In addition, old equipment that becomes unusable due to intensive use also needs to be replaced.
The fact that during almost 2.5 years of full-scale war, Ukrainian journalists were able to fulfill their professional duty with dignity became possible largely thanks to your support and solidarity. I am grateful to our friendly family of journalists who are here in these dark times to not leave us alone with the challenges of war.
Thank you for your solidarity! Journalists are Important! Glory to Ukraine!
NUJU Information Service
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