Key facts
- The Kyiv Independent released a documentary titled 'Last Seen in Crimea' on Sept. 11, investigating secret prisons in occupied Crimea.
- The outlet's travel series 'Dare to Ukraine' now has its own YouTube channel.
- A community fundraising effort generated over $24,000, enabling the purchase of 26 FPV drone detectors for journalists near the front line.
- Chief Operating Officer Zakhar Protsiuk was recognized by INMA's 30 Under 30 awards for growing membership.
- The Kyiv Independent won its second consecutive Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy.
The Kyiv Independent provided a September digest detailing its recent projects, community support initiatives, and media engagements. The outlet released a documentary, 'Last Seen in Crimea,' on September 11, investigating alleged secret prisons and torture of Ukrainian civilians in Russian-occupied Crimea. The film's author, Olesia Bida, stated the investigation aimed to identify those responsible for the unlawful detentions.
Further expanding its reach, the Kyiv Independent launched a dedicated YouTube channel for its travel series, 'Dare to Ukraine,' which explores Ukrainian culture, history, and people. A new WhatsApp channel was also introduced to deliver field reports, investigations, and analysis directly to readers' phones.
The outlet highlighted the success of its 'No News is Bad News' collection, which, along with donations, raised over $24,000. These funds enabled the Institute of Mass Information to purchase 26 FPV drone detectors for independent regional journalists working near the front line, exceeding the initial goal of 20. These detectors provide early warnings of approaching drones.
Editor-in-chief Olga Rudenko attended journalism festivals in São Paulo, Brazil, and Deventer, Netherlands, discussing the challenges of leading an independent newsroom in wartime. Deputy chief editor Toma Istomina spoke to Canadian Affairs about life in Kyiv under constant threat of Russian attacks and shared personal experiences of healthcare during wartime. Rudenko also discussed leading a wartime newsroom with Marie Claire Brasil and debated wartime elections with Poder360.
In recognition of its work, Chief Operating Officer Zakhar Protsiuk was named among INMA's 30 Under 30 honorees for his role in growing the Kyiv Independent's membership to over 35,000, with reader revenue covering more than 70% of the budget. The outlet also received its second consecutive Online Journalism Award for Innovation in Revenue Strategy from the Online News Association.