The Institute of Mass Information experts recorded 26 freedom of speech violations in Ukraine in January 2025. 18 were committed by Russia, according to the IMI’s monthly monitoring study Freedom of Speech Barometer.

Russia’s crimes against media and journalists in Ukraine included death threats and intimidation of journalists, damage to media offices, media outlets closing down, and legal pressure.

The death of three media workers turned UAF servicemembers was reported in January:

Lana Chornohorska, journalist and UAF servicewoman (UAV pilot and navigator). Killed by a Russian drone in Ukraine’s South on 1 January 2026. She was a reporter with the Kharkiv-based news outlet Lyuk, activist, and artist before enlisting.

Volodymyr Siniychuk, serviceman, photo correspondent with the local newspaper Ridnyi Kray (Velyka Bahachka village, Poltava oblast). Killed in action in Donetsk oblast on 4 January 2026. He was drafted into the army on 20 December 2022, following the full-scale invasion.

Yuriy Mihashko, serviceman, production designer at Novy. Killed in action in Sumy oblast. Enlisted in the Defense Forces in March 2022.

Several Ukrainian news outlets received emails on 30 January claiming that bombs had been planted in their offices as well as buildings of some state bodies. The senders called themselves “soldiers” or “ex-sappers”, claiming to have installed hundreds of explosive devices and threatening to set them off over the course of several days. The letters were similar, each listing random addresses in Ukraine and abroad and baring the hallmarks of an attack campaign. IMI representatives Kateryna Sereda, Iryna Nebesna, and Valentyna Troyan received such messages, as well as the following news outlets: Vilne Radio (Anastasia Shybiko, Olena Rusinova), Farvater.Skhid (Anna Nikolayenko), MediaDokaz, Detector Media, 18000, Pershyi Kryvorizkyi, Kremenchutskyi Telegraf, Poltavska Khvylia and Poltavska Dumka.