Ukrainian media get out of Zelensky’s control

Post-Maidan Ukrainian authorities exert control over media in their country in two ways. On the one hand, these authorities forbid work of opposition media; see here a decision of the Ukrainian Council for Broadcasting revoking licenses of seven Ukrainian  opposition television companies.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian authorities often do nothing when opposition journalists are attacked or even killed in Ukraine.

For example, the opposition journalist and writer Oles Buzina was shot dead in the Ukrainian capital Kiev in April 2015. However, the Advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko declared then that he did not rule out that Buzina’s murder had been planned and organized by a Russian secret service; see here. But so far, no culprits of this murder have been found. Several suspects of this crime had been arrested but later released by the Ukrainian authorities.

In the summer of 2016, a Ukrainian website accused the Ukrainian TV company Inter of cooperation with separatists. Till November 2016, the building, where this TV company is situated, was three times attacked by “activists” and its rooms were set on fire - fortunately, nobody died in these arsons. However, the material damage was great.

And the above-mentioned Advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko declared again that one shouldn`t rule out that Inter managers themselves had provoked the arson of their rooms; see here.

So far, no culprits of these arsons have been found; and by the way, so far, Ukrainian authorities haven’t published any confirmation that Inter had really cooperated with separatists. i.e. no criminal proceedings have been started because of these allegations.

Since the last year, the situation of media in Ukraine became more difficult because new restrictions had been imposed.

For example, Ukrainian media must not tell about number of Ukrainian causalities; see here. And the Ukrainian General Staff declared the last year that

"The main rule is that the Armed Forces of Ukraine report on military actions, their course, consequences and results!" see here.

However, on Monday the American news magazine TIME has published an highly critical article about the situation in Ukraine; see here. 

And some Ukrainian media have just placed the translation of this articles on their websites; e.g. see here and here. Therefore, these media needn’t fear reprisals by the authorities or attacks by “activists”. Since these media haven’t published their own material but a material which had been published in the U.S., i.e. in the country which is loved so much by Ukrainians now.

So Ukrainian media have the opportunity to inform their readers about Ukrainian setbacks on the battlefield, about losses etc.; see citations below.

"Despite the recent setbacks on the battlefield, he (Zelensky) does not intend to give up fighting or to sue for any kind of peace."

"Since the start of the invasion, Ukraine has refused to release official counts of dead and wounded. But according to U.S. and European estimates, the toll has long surpassed 100,000 on each side of the war."

"One of Zelensky’s close aides tells me that even if the U.S. and its allies come through with all the weapons they have pledged, “we don’t have the men to use them.”