Ukrainian media professionals and civil society organizations have issued a joint statement, calling for the inclusion of Ukrainian journalists and the removal of some Russian speakers from the True Story Festival programme, which is scheduled to take place in Bern on 20-22 June 2025.

The True Story Festival in Bern is an international journalism event held annually that brings together reporters from around the world to present and discuss their investigative and feature stories.

The signatories, including the Institute of Mass Information, expressed concern about the festival’s programme structure, particularly in sections related to the Russian-Ukrainian war.

According to the statement, at least five representatives from the Russian Federation – the aggressor country that has been waging war against Ukraine since 2014 – are listed as speakers. Meanwhile, Ukrainian journalists representing the victim nation are entirely absent from the programme.

“This is not only deeply unfair. This is ethically unacceptable,” the statement reads. “We value the contribution of independent Russian journalists to exposing the crimes of the regime. But to speak only about Russia, or about Ukraine without the participation of Ukrainian journalists – this is a distortion of reality. This is the risk of losing the truth in reporting – the very truth that the True Story festival is called to seek.”

The authors criticized specific aspects of the planned programme. They highlighted plans to once again tell the story of “Putin’s children’s lives” (Ilya Rozhdestvensky’s story from September 2024) instead of investigations into the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children and cultural genocide in occupied territories.

Russia deported at least 19,000 to 20,000 children since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to Ukrainian authorities.

The statement also questioned giving a platform to Dmitry Muratov to voice “challenges of the independent Russian press” while Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchina was killed in Russian captivity and thousands of Ukrainian colleagues and hundreds of media outlets have suffered from Russian aggression.

“Tell about ‘Wagner fighters’ and ‘prisoners who returned from the Russian-Ukrainian war’, that is, about war criminals – instead of telling about the fate of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians who are illegally held in Russian prisons. Unfortunately, such plans look inadequate and secondary,” said in the statement.

The signatories presented three specific demands to the festival organizers:

• They called for the immediate inclusion of Ukrainian journalists who cover the consequences of war, crimes against civilians, genocidal practices, child deportations and the disappearance of reporters.
• They demanded a review of session focus to avoid replacing the context of war with stories about the “internal pain” of the aggressor state, and to remove at least some Russian speakers from the festival programme.
• They requested ensuring balance and representation of victims, as required by basic standards of ethical journalism.

“True Story Festival should be a place for truth. We are convinced that only polyphony, honesty and sensitivity to context can preserve trust in journalism as a profession,” they said.

The statement was signed by writer Oles Ilchenko, Doctor of Philological Sciences and journalist Alla Boyko, member of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine Iryna Mykhalkiv-Vinnyk, the Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy, Mediarukh, Detector Media, and the Institute of Mass Information.

Ukrainian journalist Victoria Roshchyna has been posthumously awarded the distinction “For devotion to the profession under the most difficult conditions” in the “Honor of the Profession 2025” professional journalism competition on 29 May.

“Victoria, despite the risks of mortal danger, was engaged in covering war crimes and violations of humanitarian law norms in the occupied territories,” the competition announced the award on its Facebook page.

Victoria Roshchyna is a Ukrainian journalist. She had traveled to Russian-occupied areas to prepare a report from there. Roshchyna reportedly disappeared on Russian occupied territories on 3 August 2023. 

Russia first confirmed it was holding her in captivity only in May 2024. The confirmation came nearly nine months after her disappearance.

Information about Victoria’s death became known on 10 October 2024. Russian officials informed her father Volodymyr about the journalist’s death. The Ukrainian side later confirmed the information.

The Media Initiative for Human Rights reported that Victoria Roshchyna was held in at least two prisons. She was detained in correctional colony №77 in Berdiansk and detention center №2 in Taganrog, Russia. The Taganrog detention center is known as “one of the most brutal places of detention for Ukrainians on Russian territory.”

Russia has launched at least 31 attacks on hotels in Ukraine since 2022—most of them housing journalists, aid workers, and civilians—according to a new report by Truth Hounds and Reporters Without Borders. These were not random shellings. Many of the strikes used high-precision, high-value ballistic missiles, sometimes in pairs, and often during the night when hotels were most occupied.

The investigation reveals a chilling pattern: a deliberate campaign to silence independent media by targeting the places where journalists work and sleep.

Hotels near the front lines have become lifelines for the press, offering power, internet, and safety in a war zone. But these essential hubs are now under fire. In 30 of the 31 documented cases, the hotels were operating as civilian facilities. The sole exception involved confirmed military use.

By attacking these buildings, Russia is not just striking infrastructure—it’s attacking press freedom itself. The report argues that this pattern of targeting may constitute war crimes under international law.

31 documented hotel strikes show a consistent pattern

Russian forces have attacked Ukrainian hotels at least 31 times since February 2022, injuring 25 journalists and killing one media worker, according to a new study by Truth Hounds (TH) and Reporters Without Borders.

The attacks represent a systematic campaign to silence press coverage of the war, the organizations reported.

Between 24 February 2022 and 15 March 2025, these strikes hit 25 hotels in oblasts heavily affected by the war, including Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Odesa, and Kyiv.

Missile attacks often timed for night, when hotels are full

The frequency of attacks increased dramatically over time: eight hotels were struck in 2022, five in 2023, and 14 in 2024. Most 2024 attacks (11 of 14) occurred between August and October. Four more strikes happened in the first two months of 2025.

Of these 31 attacks, 23 occurred between 8:00 pm and 8:00 am, when hotels are most busy. At the same time, 15 strikes were carried out using 9K720 Iskander ballistic missiles.

The study found that almost all targeted hotels were operating as civilian facilities. Only one had confirmed military use. The others housed civilians—including journalists, aid workers, and volunteers. One of them, Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, was killed during a strike on his hotel in Kramatorsk in August 2024.

According to TH, hotels in frontline cities play an important role in supporting journalists’ uninterrupted work. They offer a power supply, stable internet connection, access to bomb shelters, and generally safer conditions for working on news stories.

Beyond media workers, hotels house volunteers, deminers, humanitarian representatives, displaced civilians, and military families visiting loved ones near the front.

Journalists among the injured and killed in hotel strikes

In total, 25 journalists and media professionals have found themselves under these hotel bombings, and at least seven have been injured, according to the report.

The most high-profile case involved Ryan Evans, who had traveled to Ukraine over 20 times with Reuters. On 24 August 2024, a Russian missile struck the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, killing Evans and injuring two colleagues: American journalist Dan Peleschuk and Ukrainian journalist Ivan Liubysh-Kyrdey.

No military personnel were present in the hotel, according to witness testimonies.

Other journalists were wounded in similar attacks. On 10 January 2024, two missiles—reportedly fired from an S-300 or S-400 system—hit the Park Hotel in Zaporizhzhia, injuring Davit Kachkachishvili of Türkiye’s Anadolu agency and Violetta Pedorych, a Ukrainian producer for France 2.

Kryvyi Rih emerges as a major hotspot in 2024

The intensity of hotel attacks increased sharply in August-October 2024, with Kryvyi Rih in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast becoming a key target. Over the course of several months, Russia attacked at least five hotels in the city.

On the night of 5 March 2025, Russian forces struck the Tsentralny (Central) Hotel in Kryvyi Rih with a ballistic missile. There, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, volunteers from a humanitarian organization, including citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and the United Kingdom, had recently checked in.

The shelling resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to 32 others. This was reportedly the second time this hotel has been damaged as a result of an attack by Russian forces. On 28 October 2024, it was partially destroyed by a ballistic missile strike.

Civilian hotels hit—even when closed or banning military

Most Russian strikes targeted operational hotels serving civilians—including journalists, aid workers, displaced residents, and business travelers. While military personnel occasionally stayed in some facilities, their presence was minimal and uncoordinated.

A notable example is Hotel Reikartz in Zaporizhzhia, hit by two Iskander missiles in August 2023. At the time, it housed Ukrainian and international journalists, Red Cross and UN staff. Ukrainian military personnel comprised no more than 20-30% of guests—mostly servicemen with families on leave. A children’s camp had just ended hours before the strike, which killed a passerby and injured at least 19.

Other civilian-only hotels were hit with deadly consequences. A two-month-old infant was killed in Zolochiv in February 2024. The owner said, “Once is accidental, twice is tactical.”

In Odesa, the Bristol Hotel—used by journalists and diplomats—was struck by a concrete-piercing missile in January 2025, injuring seven.

Some hotels explicitly banned military personnel. Hotel Kramatorsk enforced a no-uniform policy to avoid being targeted, yet was still struck in 2022 while sheltering only civilians, injuring a female guest.

“We had a rule not to house military personnel or individuals wearing military uniform, as this would put people in danger,” Director Valeriia Karpenko told Truth Hounds.

Even closed hotels were not spared. In Chernihiv, Hotel Ukraina was bombed in March 2022 despite being non-operational during the siege. The Druzhba Hotel in Pokrovsk was hit in August 2023 in a double-tap missile strike that killed 10 and injured 93, days after it had closed for safety reasons.

At the Grand Palace Hotel in Zaporizhzhia, a September 2024 missile strike killed a woman and her 8-year-old son. The hotel had not operated since early in the war. Her husband, the hotel’s co-owner, was severely injured along with their daughter.

“I never housed the military; I was afraid of an attack,” he told Truth Hounds.

Just one hotel used by military, despite Kremlin claims

Among all targeted hotels, only one confirmed case involved military housing. The Profspilkovyi Hotel in Chernihiv was attacked in April 2024, killing 18 and injuring 78.

Pro-Kremlin sources claimed it served as barracks for the 5th Separate Signal Regiment, supported by photographs showing military uniforms and bunks. This represents the sole documented strike on an actual military objective.

Ukraine also struck hotels used by Russian forces

By contrast, over the same period, the Ukrainian Army conducted strikes on hotels in Russian-occupied territories. Truth Hounds identified eight such incidents involving artillery or missile fire. In at least four cases, the hotels were reportedly being used for military purposes, making them legitimate targets under international humanitarian law.

On 11 July 2023, a missile strike hit Hotel Duna in Berdiansk, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing Russian officer Oleg Tsokov, deputy commander of Russia’s Southern Military District. The hotel was reportedly struck by a Storm Shadow missile.

Other documented attacks included:

• Hotel Ninel in Kherson (October 2022), resulting in casualties among FSB officers and Russian military personnel.

• A site in Kadiivka (Luhansk Oblast), targeting Wagner PMC fighters.

• Hotel Shesh-Besh in Donetsk (December 2022), where artillery hit the restaurant during the birthday celebration of Dmitry Rogozin, a former Roscosmos director. Several high-ranking military figures were present, including commanders from the 1st Army Corps of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.

Hotel strikes leave journalists traumatized and displaced

According to a survey by Truth Hounds and Reporters Without Borders, 52% of Ukrainian respondents reported psychological effects from the attacks on hotels, citing heightened stress and emotional trauma caused by the constant threat of being targeted. Among foreign respondents, 35% reported similar impacts.

One Ukrainian journalist interviewed for the report described the lasting toll. Injured in a missile strike on a hotel used by the press, she spent ten days in the hospital—five of them unable to walk.

“It’s like a flash in front of my eyes—the pain, crawling on the ground, the smell of dust, the struggle to breathe,” she recalled. Since then, she has avoided field assignments and rarely travels outside the capital. “I had never felt fear like this before.”

The persistent targeting of hotels has forced journalists to reconsider where they stay, moving away from hotels and toward less visible alternatives. This shift hampers their ability to operate safely in war zones. According to the survey, 13% said they had reduced or halted assignments to high-risk areas because of the strikes.

The impact extends beyond fear. 64% cited logistical complications due to limited access to safe accommodation, while 44% reported ongoing emotional trauma.

In response, many journalists have adopted new safety measures: using unmarked vehicles, removing “press” labels from bulletproof vests, and turning off geolocation—a survival strategy in today’s reporting landscape.

Russia spreads disinformation to justify hotel attacks

Russian authorities have repeatedly pushed the narrative that journalists in Ukraine are actually “foreign mercenaries,” using this label to justify strikes on hotels where media workers stay.

The Russian Ministry of Defence rarely comments publicly after such attacks. When it does, it typically frames them as legitimate military operations, claiming the hotels were used by Ukrainian forces, intelligence operatives, or foreign fighters.

After the strike on Hotel Druzhba, the Ministry claimed it had destroyed a Ukrainian command post. In the case of Hotel Reikartz in Zaporizhzhia, officials said the target was “foreign mercenaries.” Following the Kharkiv Palace Hotel strike, they alleged the deaths of Ukrainian intelligence agents and “up to two hundred foreign mercenaries”—despite witness accounts confirming no military personnel were present.

A revealing case is that of Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk. In February 2023, Russian officials claimed the hotel hosted Western journalists under Ukrainian security supervision to fabricate war crimes. Eighteen months later, Russian forces struck the same hotel—killing Reuters safety advisor Ryan Evans, despite its well-known civilian function.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later dismissed Evans as “some kind of safety adviser,” while Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova baselessly described him as a former MI6 agent. Reuters and Evans’ family refuted the claim.

“The targeting of journalists has a direct impact on the scale and depth of war reporting,” the study warns, “reducing the presence of independent observers who could document potential violations of international law.”

Targeting journalists may be a war crime

Under international humanitarian law and international criminal law, attacks on hotels accommodating civilians — including journalists and humanitarian workers — may constitute war crimes. The Geneva Conventions prohibit the intentional use of violence to instill fear among civilians.

The study found that Russian strikes on Ukrainian hotels followed a deliberate pattern, not random acts of war. Available evidence shows that Ukrainian military personnel, when present, were there for private purposes, not military operations — with the sole exception of the Profspilkovyi Hotel.

Meanwhile, Russian narratives blur the line between civilians and combatants, increasingly portraying journalists as legitimate military targets. This violates their protected status and undermines press safety. The consistency of such claims, despite a lack of evidence, suggests a systematic attempt to justify unlawful strikes.

“Russia’s disregard for its obligations under international humanitarian law is clear,” the study states. “Instead of protecting journalists, Russia treats them as expendable—or even legitimate targets.”