Ukraine: NUJU launches international advisory council to strengthen support for journalists in wartime
Today, on Ukraine independence day, our Ukrainian affiliate, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) launched the International Advisory Council of the Journalists’ Solidarity Centers, a pro bono, non-governing advisory board.
The new group of international experts will advise NUJU on journalists’ safety, media resilience and the strategic development of its nationwide Solidarity Centers network. The group will also help connect the needs of Ukrainian journalists and independent media with international expertise, professional solidarity and appropriate forms of support.
“Ukrainian journalists and media are working in conditions that change almost every week, from missile and drone attacks to displacement, exhaustion and severe economic pressure. The Council is intended to help bring these realities and the most urgent needs of our colleagues to sustained international attention, and to strengthen solidarity around practical responses,” said NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko.
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers
NUJU is currently operating seven different Journalists’ Solidarity Centers in Ukraine and at the frontlines; Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Sumy, Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk.
From 2022 through July 2026, the Centers handled 10,573 requests for support. The assistance the centers provided, included:
- 2,151 requests for protective equipment made available free of charge for temporary use, including ballistic vests, helmets, drone detectors and individual first-aid kits (IFAKs);
- emergency financial assistance for 879 journalists and media outlets affected by attacks, displacement or other emergencies;
- 953 legal consultations; and
- financial support to 277 regional media outlets.
This nationwide network was established by NUJU in April 2022 with the support from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the EFJ, and with UNESCO Headquarters as a key partner.
The EFJ will continue to stand in solidarity with NUJU and all journalists in Ukraine, and will continue to support their work going forward, as they work to expand protection against drone threats, strengthen psychological resilience and prevent burnout, help local and frontline media remain operational, and build a more sustainable nationwide safety network for journalists across the country.
