Ukraine: Journalists' Solidarity Centers need support to keep protecting reporters under fire

As Ukraine marks four years since Russia's full-scale invasion, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) has launched a renewed fundraising campaign to sustain its network of six Journalists' Solidarity Centers - safety hubs that enable Ukrainian and foreign journalists to continue reporting under wartime conditions. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) support the NUJU campaign and invite journalists' organisations and citizens who are able to do so to make a donation.

Credit: Journalists test the "Chuika" drone detection device at the Journalists' Solidarity Center in Zaporizhzhia on 14 January 2026. Credit: NUJU.

Established in 2022 with the support of the IFJ/EFJ Safety Fund, the Centers have become a model of "safety spaces" for journalists operating in conflict zones. The six Solidarity Centers, located in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, provide essential services to journalists reporting on the ground, such:

• Free rental of protective equipment
• Drone detection devices
• Safety and first aid training
• Emergency relocation assistance
• Legal and psychological consultations
• Secure workspaces with stable electricity and internet access

NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenkoemphasised: "Our network of Solidarity Centers is like a hotline for journalists during war. When you need protective equipment, a safe workspace, or urgent help - you reach us, and we respond. This is how solidarity works in practice: immediate, concrete, lifesaving."

Since 2022, more than 9,000 Ukrainian and foreign journalists have received assistance. Today, however, the network faces a serious funding gap as needs continue to rise. In addition to ongoing missile and drone strikes, prolonged blackouts and damage to energy infrastructure have made journalists' work even more difficult.

Statistics from January 2026 compared with December show a sharp surge in demands: the NUJU received five times as many requests to rent drone detectors, three times as many requests for workspaces with reliable electricity and internet, twice as many requests for safety training and 50% more requests for psychological support.

A critical funding gap

While UNESCO served as a key institutional partner for over two years, its core funding has ended. The network now operates without stable institutional support. But the Solidarity Centers are not symbolic initiatives. They are practical mechanisms that protect journalists' lives and ensure the continued flow of independent reporting from Ukraine.

NUJU's Board has formally designated the Solidarity Centers as critical infrastructure, recognising that as long as the war continues, these safety spaces must remain operational for both Ukrainian and international journalists.

The network is maintained by a team of 15 staff working across Ukraine, predominantly women (80%), including three internally displaced persons and two people with disabilities. To keep the Centers operational amid the funding gap, NUJU has introduced internal cost-saving measures, including temporary 30% salary reductions for staff, while striving to preserve full services for journalists in need.

EFJ President Maja Sever said: "The Journalists' Solidarity Centers are a vital safety net for reporters working in one of the world's most dangerous conflicts. The EFJ stands in solidarity with NUJU and calls on all member organisations to support this critical campaign. As long as the war continues, these safety spaces must remain operational - for Ukrainian journalists and for international reporters documenting the war."

IFJ President Dominique Pradalié emphasized the urgency: "The Journalists' Solidarity Centers demonstrate what international solidarity looks like in action. When we helped establish these Centers through the IFJ Safety Fund in 2022, we knew they would be vital. However, they cannot operate without sustained funding. We call on journalists' unions and associations worldwide to contribute. These Centers must not close when journalists need them most."

Every contribution will directly support:

• Protective gear for frontline reporters
• Drone detection equipment
• Safety training sessions
• Generators and energy resilience for newsrooms
• Psychological and legal support

How to support the Journalists' Solidarity Centers

IFJ and EFJ affiliates and partner organisations can support the campaign by donating directly to NUJU's euro account:

IBAN: UA943052990000026005040107842
Bank: JSC CB "PRIVATBANK"
SWIFT: PBANUA2X
Payment purpose: Donations for Journalists' Solidarity Centers

Full bank address:
1D Hrushevskoho str., Kyiv, 01001, Ukraine
Correspondent bank: J.P. MORGAN AG, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Account in correspondent bank: 6231605145
SWIFT code of correspondent bank: CHASDEFX

Every contribution (one-off or regular) helps sustain critical infrastructure for independent journalism in Ukraine.