The Kyiv Independent Maintains Editorial Independence in Wartime Ukraine

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, changing how English-language news site The Kyiv Independent operates, NOS Nieuws reported.

Founded just three months prior by journalists dismissed from the Kyiv Post over editorial interference, the outlet now reaches over two million monthly readers abroad.

Funding relies primarily on readers through subscriptions and donations, covering at least 70 percent of operations to maintain editorial independence from the government and oligarchs, according to NOS Nieuws.

Deputy Chief Editor Toma Istomina described the delicate balance newsrooms face during wartime.

“[We] are not Ukrainian propaganda,” Istomina told NOS Nieuws. “Pero you always ask yourself: am I damaging my country or am I helping it?”

The publication faced scrutiny and pressure after publishing investigations into military misconduct and government corruption. Government friction intensified when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed legislation affecting anti-corruption institutions, which the news site criticized before suffering a DDoS attack. Istomina maintains that supporting Ukraine’s defense does not preclude scrutinizing its leadership. “Support for Ukraine is not equal to support for Zelenskyy,” Istomina told NOS Nieuws. “And Zelenskyy is not equal to Ukraine.”

As Ukraine pursues membership in the European Union and NATO, Istomina argues that democratic standards must persist even under military assault. NOS Nieuws reported that foreign readers occasionally accuse the staff of disloyalty for reporting domestic corruption. “That privilege comes with responsibility, norms and expectations,” Istomina told NOS Nieuws.

“But it is a special experience when foreign readers tell you that you are not allowed to hold your own president accountable. Sometimes it even goes so far that someone calls you a Russian agent. After training in Germany with stable electricity and hot water, Sasha reflected on returning to combat. “Straks scheiden onze wegen,” Sasha told Defensie. “Sommigen terug naar een drankje, vrouw en kinderen, anderen terug naar de oorlog.”

NOS Nieuws reported that editors maintain contingency plans in case they must temporarily evacuate Kyiv amid intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure. “I think we are all at our lowest point right now, in terms of energy, inspiration, and the ability to see light at the end of this tunnel,” Istomina told NOS Nieuws.

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