Russian strikes in Ukrainian hotels that silence the press

In May 2025, Journalists Without Borders (RSF) and True hunterBoth the non -governmental organizations published a report on the intentional attacks on journalists by the Kremlin, “Last Check-in: Russian strikes in Ukrainian hotels that silence the press. “As the report describes, since the onset of Russia’s full -scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both Ukrainian and foreign journalists have come under Russian fire, even in their hotels.

As the survey shows, between February 24, 2022 and March 15, 2025, Russia carried out 31 strikes in 25 Ukrainian hotels, mainly in areas near the front line, including Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Odessa and Kyiv, capital. As the report suggests, only one of these hotels was used for military purposes and everything else was political objects. In total, 25 media journalists and media professionals were found under these bombings. At least seven have been injured. A person, security adviser by Reuters Ryan Evans, were killed During a strike at his hotel in August 2024 in Kramatorsk, Eastern Ukraine.

As the report concludes, Russian strikes on political hotels in Ukraine are clearly aimed at blocking independent war coverage. He further explains that, as the war went on, such attacks have multiplied by eight in 2022, five in 2023, 14 in 2024 and four in the first two months of 2025. Twenty -three attacks occurred at night when hotels are more occupied. In addition, there were at least 15 strikes with rockets started by 9K720 Iskander Systems, known for their accuracy. Some have a 20 -meter error margin.

These attacks had a profound impact on working conditions and the work practices of journalists and media broadly. According to the report, in 2023, 64 % of Ukrainian journalists and 43 % of foreign correspondents avoided staying in hotels near the battle front. About 13 % of all journalists had to reduce or suspend work in these areas, and 64 % of Ukrainian and international journalists report accounting obstacles to reporting due to difficulty accessing safe housing. Journalists in the affected areas are now using unmarked vehicles, do not use the “type” signs in bulletproof vests and disable the geographical location to avoid their appearance. In addition, 44% of journalists reported that they suffered from anxiety or psychological trauma after the hotel’s attacks.

The deliberate attacks on journalists follow an established misinformation narrative of various actors, including the Russian Ministry of Defense and the Pro-Kremlin Telegraph Channels. This narrative misinformation presents journalists as mercenaries and hotels as military bases. However, as the exhibition makes it clear, out of 25 hotels, 24 were political facilities.

Exhibition explains how this misinformation strategy has led to murder RyanReuters Security Advisor. On August 24, 2024, a Russian strike hit the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, killing Ryan Evans and injuring two of his reporters, Dan Peleschuk, an American citizen and Ivan Liubysh-Kyrdey, a Ukrainian citizen. The report confirmed that no military personnel existed in the hotel. Russia accused Ryan of being “former MI6 agent”, allegations that have denied family and employers.

Attacks on journalists are part of Russia’s systematic armament during the complete scale of invasion of Ukraine and aim to control the narratives of Russia’s war against Ukraine. All of these attacks must be addressed, including legal contracts for justice and accountability. Journalists and the media benefit from general protections in the context of international humanitarian law enjoyed by citizens and political objects and cannot be considered military objectives unless they contribute effectively to military action. Russia’s attacks on journalists can equivalent to war crimes and must be investigated and expelled as such. The report makes various recommendations, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Attorney General of Ukraine to prioritize investigations into attacks on journalists and citizens and to treat them as a war crime. It further calls on the authorities worldwide to prioritize crimes against media and media workers using all available legal means, including the principle of universal jurisdiction.