Kiev tightens censorship as frontline losses mount: The Intercept
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The Intercept sheds light on the increasing chokehold on journalists working in Ukraine as Kiev fails to mark down any substantial achievements in its counter-offensive.
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Destroyed Ukrainian Tanks and IFV on the Bakhmut/Artyomovsk front from June 2023 (Telegram)
The Ukrainian government has increased its efforts to control media access and restrict coverage of the ongoing conflict with Russia especially on the front lines, as the Ukrainian forces suffer heavy casualties in their counteroffensive.
A report by The Intercept highlights intensified monitoring and censorship that veteran journalists suffer from as they carry out their work in Ukrainian-controlled territories.
Back when Ukrainian forces gained control of the port city of Kherson, journalists entered the city without formal permission and documented the jubilant scenes. In response, Ukrainian officials revoked the journalists' press credentials, claiming that they had disregarded existing restrictions.
Read more: Zelensky's fall to grace in the West
Since the start of the conflict last year, Ukrainian authorities have threatened, revoked, or denied press credentials for the journalists of 6 news outlets covering the war, according to the report.
Anton Skyba, a Ukrainian photographer, had his pass revoked after he revealed that Ukrainian authorities subjected him to interrogation and lie detector tests as they accused him of working against the country's national interests.
"It’s wild how little of what’s happening is being chronicled. And the main reason, though not the only one, is that the Ukrainian government has made it virtually impossible for journalists to do real front-line reportage," Luke Mugelson, a contributing writer for The New York Times, told The Intercept.
Skyba revealed that he is often instructed by Ukrainian military officers to skew the statements and testimonies of Ukrainian soldiers.
"If a soldier tells me, ‘I hate this war so much,’ the press officer asks him to reply, ‘Yes, the war is hard, but we are keeping our spirits up."
Italian journalist Andrea Sceresini, who worked for an extended time in Ukraine, summarized the current situation by saying, "They are running a check on all journalists. And one by one, those who are not perfectly dutiful to the directives and Kiev’s political line are out."
Read more: Ukraine counteroffensive not going too well, WSJ says
Kiev's increased efforts to alter facts and censor front-line reporters coincide with successive defeats on the battlefield.
On Tuesday the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Tuesday that Ukraine has lost nearly 500 soldiers as a result of offensive attempts in the South Donetsk, Zaporozhye, and Donetsk directions in one day.
Moscow also revealed that Russian troops repelled four attacks by Ukraine near the Vremivka ledge and in the Orikhiv direction.
Read more: Kiev loses some 500 soldiers in one day during offensive: Russian MoD
"The total losses of the enemy in the South Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia directions over the past day amounted to 260 Ukrainian soldiers, nine tanks, a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, 12 armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, two Msta-B howitzers, as well as an artillery system M777 made in the US," the ministry said.
The heavy losses in military equipment are followed by months of rallying and tours completed by Zelensky in Western capitals, to secure top-of-the-line weapons and armory, which are yet to produce any significant victory for Kiev.
Read more: Ukrainian Air Force pilots plead for F-16s, say Su-25s useless: CNN
