Ukraine began providing 300,000 UAH in case of death or injury of a journalist

The Cabinet of Ministers begins to provide payments in case of death or injury of journalists while performing their professional duties, said prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Subsequently, the government press service informed LIGA.net of the amount of such payments.

According to her, on December 12, a decision was made that provides one-time assistance through the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting; this program is provided for in the Ukrainian budget for 2026.

The first payment is made by the state to the father of journalist Victoria Roshchyna, who died in Russian captivity, Svyrydenko said.

"For the Ukrainian state, this is a matter of justice to those who selflessly sought the truth, documented the facts of Russian crimes and lost their lives because of it," the prime minister wrote.

She added that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed 21 journalists in the line of duty: both Ukrainians and foreigners are among the dead media workers.

UPDATE. The press service of the Cabinet of Ministers informed LIGA.net that this payment currently amounts to UAH 302,800.

They specified that according to the 2026 budget, this amount will be higher, as the payment is tied to the minimum subsistence level, which will increase.

The government noted that these funds are allocated within the framework of the Ministry of Finance's programs. This refers to the existing budget program for state scholarships for information industry workers, children of journalists who have died or been disabled in connection with the performance of their professional duties, and bonuses in the information industry.

"We are allocating funds for this for the next year, 2026," the Cabinet of Ministers said.

The press service also explained that such payments had not been made previously because there were no relevant decisions from the relevant interdepartmental commission.

"Now we are activating this process," the government concluded.

• Roshchyna disappeared in August 2023 on Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. The SSU, and then the Russian side, confirmed that the journalist was taken prisoner by Russians.
• In October 2024, the Coordination Center confirmed the death of 27-year-old journalist in Russia. The next day, an investigation into the death of Roshchyna in Russian captivity was launched.
• In April 2025, it became known that journalist's body was returned to Ukraine. The prosecutor general's Office reported that Roshchina's body was found to have numerous signs of torture.
• In November, the EU Council imposed sanctions against Russians, in particular those involved in the torture of a journalist.