Mr. Chair,

The Delegation of Ukraine aligns itself with the statement delivered by the EU delegation and would like to make a statement in its national capacity.

We commend the Department of Global Communications, under the leadership of Under-Secretary-General Melissa Fleming, for upholding information integrity in today’s challenging global landscape.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has been accompanied by a systematic campaign of disinformation and propaganda. Russia’s state-run media spread narratives that dehumanize Ukrainians and justify acts of genocide. Calls to erase Ukrainian identity and destroy cities "block by block" must be firmly condemned.

Distinguished colleagues,

We mourn the media workers killed by Russia.

Let me bring to the Committee’s attention the case of Ukrainian award-winning journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was illegally detained by Russian occupying forces in the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region in August 2023 while performing her professional duties. Viktoriia was young, healthy and capable of undertaking long and dangerous reporting missions.

In May 2024, Viktoriia’s father received an email from Russia’s Ministry of Defence informing him that his daughter was being held somewhere in Russia, without further details.

According to investigations by journalists, a former cellmate who had communicated with Viktoriia for several months revealed that Viktoriia had been tortured with knives and electric shocks and had been reduced to only 30 kilograms at the age of 27.

In October 2024, Russia’s Ministry of Defence informed Viktoriia’s father that his daughter had died on 19 September 2024 and that her body would be returned during one of the exchanges of detained persons with the Ukrainian side. No explanation regarding the cause of death or any medical documentation was provided.

In February 2025, during the examination of bodies returned from Russia without identification, a tag bearing Viktoriia’s name was found. DNA samples from both of her parents confirmed with a probability exceeding 99% that the body belonged to her.

Due to the condition of the body, the cause of death could not be determined through the initial forensic examination. Samples were therefore taken for further analysis, and with the involvement of French experts, an additional forensic examination is being prepared. At the same time, numerous signs of torture and ill-treatment were found on Viktoriia’s body, including abrasions, bruises on various parts of her body, a broken rib, and evidence of electric shocks. Experts confirmed that these injuries were inflicted while she was still alive.

Mr. Chair,

This is not an isolated crime. At least 30 other Ukrainian journalists remain imprisoned by Russia. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed at least 102 media workers, including 7 foreign journalists.

Distinguished colleagues,

Disinformation and propaganda must be clearly distinguished from professional journalism. Russia seeks to blur this distinction by labeling propagandists as journalists while targeting genuine journalists as threats.

This Committee must reject any attempts to legitimize falsehoods or portray aggressors as victims. We must strengthen protections for truthful journalism and expose disinformation whenever it is used to justify acts of aggression.

In conclusion, the Delegation of Ukraine reaffirms its commitment to working with all peace-loving Member States to uphold media freedom, protect journalists, and ensure that truth prevails.

I thank you.