New report says Russian military bombs Ukrainian hotels to silence the press
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, both Ukrainian and foreign journalists have come under Russian fire – even in their hotels, which also function as their workspace.
A new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Ukrainian human rights organisation Truth Hounds (TH) documents these attacks: offences that amount to war crimes and must not go unpunished.
For a journalist in a war zone, a hotel is not just a place to rest: it is also an office for writing, editing and transmitting reports to foreign newsrooms. But in Ukraine, this refuge has sometimes become a target of the Russian military, which aims to silence the media professionals documenting the invasion.
‘Last check-in: The Russian strikes on Ukrainian hotels silencing the press’ details these deliberate attacks by the Kremlin.
In just over three years – between 24 February 2022 and 15 March 2025 – 31 strikes by Russian armed forces hit 25 Ukrainian hotels, most of which were located in regions near the front line such as Kharkiv (northeast), Donetsk (east), Dnipro (southeast), Odessa (south) and Kyiv, the capital. Only one of these hotels was being used for military purposes; all the others housed civilians, including journalists.
One media collaborator, Reuters’ safety advisor Ryan Evans, was killed during a strike on his hotel in August 2024 in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine.
In total, 25 journalists and media professionals have found themselves under these hotel bombings, and at least seven have been injured.
‘The Russian strikes against hotels hosting journalists in Ukraine are neither accidental nor random,’ said Pauline Maufrais, RSF regional officer for Ukraine. ‘The targeted buildings are not “Ukrainian military bases”, and the journalists inside are not “mercenaries”, contrary to the disinformation narrative relentlessly pushed by all levels of the Russian state and pro-Kremlin outlets.’
‘These attacks are part of a larger strategy to sow terror and seek to reduce coverage of the war. By targeting civilian infrastructure, they violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes. Those responsible must be brought to justice’
‘Russian attacks on hotels in Ukraine are systematic and deliberate, following a distinct internal logic and timing that sets them apart from many other strikes on civilian infrastructure,’ said Roman Koval, Truth Hounds Head of Research.
‘Given the nature of hotel guests during armed conflict in frontline regions – media professionals, aid workers – and the repeated, even escalating, intensity of these attacks, it suggests that the intention is not only to destroy the buildings, but to intimidate or harm those who stay in them.’
Russian strikes on civilian hotels in Ukraine, clearly aimed at obstructing independent war coverage, have multiplied: eight in 2022, five in 2023, 14 in 2024, and four in the first two months of 2025. What’s more, these attacks follow recurring patterns:
- twenty-seven of the 31 attacks took place in regions near the battle front, notably in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Odessa, and Dnipro
- twenty-three attacks occurred at night, between 8pm and 8am, when hotels are most occupied
- at least 15 strikes were conducted with missiles launched from 9K720 Iskander systems, known for their precision. Some have a margin of error of just around 20 metres
These strikes have altered working conditions for Ukrainian and foreign reporters. Results from a survey of local and foreign journalists in Ukraine conducted for the report show that:
- since 2023, 64% of Ukrainian journalists and 43% of foreign correspondents avoid staying in hotels near the battle front
- 13% of all surveyed journalists had to reduce or suspend assignments in these regions
- 64% of Ukrainian and international journalists report logistic obstacles to their reporting due to difficulty accessing safe accommodation, and
- 44% of journalists suffer from stress or psychological trauma following the hotel attacks
Journalists now use unmarked vehicles, forgo ‘press’ signs on bulletproof vests and turn off geolocation to avoid being seen, which is now a survival strategy
Some newsrooms limit overnight stays in hotels, favour private accommodation and even ban their reporters from going to certain zones. Ukrainian journalists have been adapting the fastest thanks to their knowledge of the field.
Journalists labelled as mercenaries, hotels transformed into military bases … To justify its attacks on civilian hotels, the Kremlin relies on a well-established disinformation narrative disseminated at all levels, from the Russian Ministry of Defence to pro-Kremlin Telegram channels, some of which are anonymous.
Yet, according to the report’s findings notably based on witness testimonies of the 31 attacks on the 25 hotels, only one hotel was used by the Ukrainian army – the other 24 were civilian facilities.
The case of Ryan Evans illustrates this disinformation strategy. On August 24 2024, a Russian strike hit the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, killing Evans – who had travelled to Ukraine more than 20 times since 2022 with the agency – and injuring two of his journalist colleagues, American Dan Peleschuk and Ukrainian Ivan Liubysh-Kyrdey.
No military personnel were present in the hotel.
Moscow accused him of being a ‘former MI6 agent’ – a claim denied by both his family and employer. Ukraine has since charged Russian General Alexei Kim with ordering a strike on civilian infrastructure in Kramatorsk.
The report includes recommendations by RSF and Truth Hounds for authorities, international courts, newsrooms, and digital platforms.
For Ukrainian authorities
- enhance collaboration with media professionals to improve their safety, and
- ensure legal recognition and protection for all media workers.
For the International Criminal Court and the Ukrainian Prosecutor General
- prioritise investigations into attacks on journalists and civilians and treat them as a war crime, and
- for Ukrainian courts: maintain the highest level of priority in investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of these crimes through national judicial mechanisms
For foreign states
- prioritise prosecuting crimes against journalists and media workers – particularly in the United Kingdom in the case of Ryan Evans – using all legal means available, including universal jurisdiction
- implement the highest level of co-operation between Ukrainian prosecutors, other national prosecutors, and international courts to bring the perpetrators of attacks on journalists in Ukraine to justice, and
- impose stronger sanctions on Russia for crimes against journalists and media professionals due to their vital role in informing the public
For Ukrainian and foreign newsrooms and media
- increase security budgets (armoured vehicles, security professionals, insurance)
- update safety protocols considering the specific characteristics of Russia’s war on Ukraine
- introduce mandatory written contracts for local producers
- prioritise safe accommodation for journalists
- provide combat zone and first aid training for media professionals in high-risk environments, and
- expand access to mental health services for journalists
For states, media watchdogs and digital platforms
- develop strategies to counter pro-Russian disinformation, and
- support civil society and government fact-checking initiatives as well as digital literacy programmes to help audiences decode manipulative content
Ukraine and Russia rank 62nd and 171st, respectively, out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.
