The European Union is launching three new projects worth a total of 6.6 million euros to strengthen independent media in Ukraine.

This announcement was made by EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Maternova, on October 9 at the Donbas Media Forum, as reported on the EU Delegation's website in Ukraine.

The new initiatives will focus on:

• addressing the urgent needs of media professionals working under wartime conditions,
• enhancing their security and resilience,
• as well as supporting Ukraine's ongoing path towards integration with the EU.

“Our goal is to enhance Ukraine's ability to provide reliable and important information, ensure accountability of the authorities, and document the truth about Russia's aggressive war and its crimes,” said the ambassador.

The projects funded by the EU include:

• 3 million euros for the project “Frontline and Investigative Media in Ukraine,” implemented by Internews International and the Media Development Foundation. This project will provide grants for the core activities of 40 frontline media outlets, specialized mentorship and training for 20 others, and institutional support for investigative journalism teams exposing corruption and war crimes committed by Russia.
• 2 million euros allocated for the project “Strengthening the Resilience of Independent, Free, and Pluralistic Media Ecosystem in Ukraine,” led by the organization “Reporters Without Borders.” This initiative plans to provide emergency support and protective equipment for 400 journalists, promote sustainable media development through the “Trust in Journalism” initiative (JTI) and the International Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukrainian Media (IFRUM), and advocate for the inclusion of media in Ukraine's recovery agenda.
• 1.65 million euros will go towards the project “Empowering Ukrainian Media for a Sustainable Future,” coordinated by the Institute of Mass Information and “Detector Media.” This project is expected to strengthen regional and local media, combat misinformation, and provide legal, security, and professional support for over 500 journalists through 15 newly established regional media centers.

Since 2017, the EU has allocated over 110 million euros to support Ukrainian media, including 57.5 million euros provided since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.