Russian forces carried out another deliberate attack on civilian targets in Ukraine overnight on November 17. Shahed strike drones damaged the Suspilne Broadcasting office in Dnipro, where the offices of Suspilne Dnipro and Suspilne Donbas were located, and a nearby television tower.

The attack resulted in at least ten explosions, a hole in the building, broken doors, a large fire, and damage to infrastructure. The apartment of a Suspilne journalist living nearby was also affected. TV and radio broadcasters whose signal was transmitted from the television tower had to temporarily go off air.

We strongly condemn this strike, which is another deliberate attack on freedom of speech, citizens’ access to information, and the work of independent media outlets that track and cover Russian war crimes daily.

The Russian Federation, which systematically violates international humanitarian law and the rules and customs of warfare, is increasingly resorting to unconventional warfare methods and terror practices. The attack on the Suspilne building is another manifestation of the terrorism streak ingrained in the so-called “Russian world”, which uses the veneer of “the great Russian culture” and civility to sow more destruction. Russia deliberately targets journalists and the media. According to the Institute of Mass Information, Russian forces have killed 119 journalists since the start of the war in 2014; other reporters and citizen journalists are detained in inhumane conditions inside Russia and do not receive proper aid.

Terrorism, targeted strikes on civilian cities, ecocide, genocide, destruction of cultural heritage sites, attacks on critical infrastructure and attempts to stop the work of media outlets that tell the truth about the crimes committed by the Russian state structures — all this paints a picture of what modern Russia is really like. Russia has turned into a full-fledged terrorist organization akin to ISIS and is a threat to peace, stability, and the democratic world order.

Any political efforts to “come to an agreement” with the Russian Federation are nothing more than attempts to negotiate with terrorists. Terror cannot be stopped by appeasement.

We call on the international community to:

resolutely condemn the shelling strike on Suspilne, yet another attack on Ukraine’s media infrastructure;
impose more sanctions to put pressure on Russia as a terrorist state;
provide Ukraine with the necessary air defense systems capable of repelling mass strikes on cities and critical infrastructure;
continue to support independent Ukrainian media and Suspilne Broadcasting, which operate in an environment of constant threat and perform the key function of informing society.

The world must realize that the only language Russia understands involves the same action that was taken against Osama bin Laden and other international terrorists. Any other strategy only encourages the aggressor to commit new crimes.

Ukrainian media NGOs will continue to support Suspilne Broadcasting and all journalists doing their job despite the threats, defending society’s right to the truth.

NGO Centre for Democracy and Rule of Law

NGO Ukrainian Institute of Media and Communications

Souspilnist Foundation

NGO Internews Ukraine

NGO Institute of Regional Press Development

NGO Human Rights Platform

NGO Pylyp Orlyk Institute of Democracy

NGO Institute of Mass Information

NGO Detector Media