Russia’s large-scale strikes in Ukraine leave newsrooms working in the dark and the cold

"The situation has recently deteriorated, and we are currently operating in power-saving mode. If there is a complete power outage, we can only stay on air for a maximum of 6 hours" explained Ruslana Brianska, director of the Kyiv-based independent radio station Hromadske Radio. Although the radio was largely spared since the full-scale Russian invasion began in 2022 - its studios being located in a "critical-infrastructure" building that benefits from relatively uninterrupted power - these days, the station's operations are seriously restricted.

Russian strikes on energy infrastructure intensified in early January, amid an exceptionally cold period where temperatures dropped to nearly −20°C, directly affecting media outlets. The authorities declared a"state of emergency" in Ukraine's energy sector and, on 9 January, strikes on Kyiv led the mayorto ask residents to leave the city due to its critical situation. On 21 January, close to 60 per cent of the capital's residentswere still without electricity, on top of water and heating cuts.

Yevheniia Motorevska, head of the War Crimes Investigations Unit at the English-language outlet The Kyiv Independent, explains: "In our office, because of power cuts, the temperature fluctuates between 11°C and 13°C. In these conditions, it is difficult to concentrate." Teams still choose to commute to the newsroom, where the effects of strikes are still better than at home. Some reporters have faced three to four consecutive days without electricity; cuts are still occurring, which often go on for around10 to 12 hours per day. Repeated strikes since last fall have exhausted the staff: "Everyone is sleep-deprived," warns the journalist.

Even though approximately 600,000 peoplehave left Kyiv since 9 January, according to the Mayor of Kyiv, almost all of The Kyiv Independentteam has stayed. "We are planning the premiere of a documentary in Kyiv in February, and I hope it all goes well," Yevheniia Motorevska said, noting that the team may face a forced departure if a total outage lasted more than five days.

"We continue our work"

Hromadske Radio- which is maintaining broadcasting albeit with reduced airtime - is seeking a backup office to continue operations during prolonged power outages in Kyiv. This solution is vital to ensure reliable information reaches areas near the frontline and "temporarily occupied territories" that the station covers, said Ruslana Brianska. She explained that, unlike Kyiv and its suburbs, the situation in some regions close to the frontline can sometimes be better, "particularly in Kharkiv, where damaged equipment is repaired quickly and outages are less frequent." None of this has deterred the reporters questioned by RSF from doing their job. "We continue our work and remain resilient," Ruslana Brianska concludes on a positive note.

Essential support for newsrooms

Since the first Russian attacks on energy infrastructure in 2022 - which resulted in the International Criminal Court issuingarrest warrants for senior Russian officials - Ukrainian media outlets have had to adapt by acquiring power generators, power banks and charging stations. For instance, The Kyiv Independentbought additional batteries for its teams, making sure they were available both at the office and at employees' homes.

Ukrainian organisations such as the Institute of Mass Information(IMI), an RSF partner in Ukraine, are hosting reporters in heated, generator-equipped media hubs in 14 regions across the country. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, RSF has provided energy-supply equipment to more than 200 media outlets in Ukraine.

In 2025, RSF and eight Ukrainian organisations launchedthe International Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukrainian Media (IFRUM) to provide financial aid to Ukrainian media outlets, pillars of the country's democracy.

Respectively, Ukraine and Russia rank 62nd and 171st out of 180 countries and territories in the 2025 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/rsf/desk-eastern-europe-central-asia