Thread by @PaulaChertok

Russians use abduction, hostage-taking to threaten Ukrainian journalists in occupied zones | RSF rsf.org/en/news/russia…

Putin Mafia State: Terrorize, occupy, replace free press w/ propaganda: Russians are threatening journalists & local media to prevent them reporting the facts & get them to collaborate, spread Kremlin propaganda. They took hostage the 75yo FATHER of Melitopol's local news editor.

Also #Berdyansk: Russian soldiers stormed bldg housing the radio, newspaper & local TV station. Also took over local Telegram channel & Instagram. Took hostage ~50 employees, beat a few. Now News Berdyansk broadcasts Kremlin propaganda calling on Ukrainians to lay down their arms

Russian forces kidnapped Hromadske Radio journalist Viktoria Roshchina in Berdyansk; freed 10 days later after forced to record video saying Russian soldiers “saved her life” & “treated her well.” Oleg Baturin in Kakhovka, tortured for 8 days. Radio France fixer—same, near Kyiv.

Putin's #Russia must control information—spread #propaganda—to survive: #Journalists in occupied #Ukraine get “visits” from Russian soldiers. #Melitopol reporters & editor were arrested at their homes, taken by force to unknown destination before being released few hours later.

#Kherson🇺🇦: #Russia's military threatened to kill correspondent for #Ukraine news agency Ukrinform. “The Russians keep calling me to explain what they are going to do to me” she said.

#Luhansk LOT TV journalist was doxxed, started getting threats to stop criticizing the Kremlin.

❗️Since #Russia's invasion, 70 local media outlets in #Ukraine have been forced to stop working, in at least 6 cities now occupied or under pressure by Russian armed forces, including #Melitopol, #Vinnytsia, #Kherson, per new report by Reporters w/o Borders @RSF_inter partner IMI

@RSF_inter Media outlets in #Ukraine still reporting the news have been receiving anonymous letters calling on them to “abandon their anti-Russian activities” in order to have “a chance of being saved.”

#Russia has bombed 10 radio & TV towers since the start of the war – also #WarCrimes.

@RSF_inter Ukrainian journalists have sought refuge in #Lviv, where RSF is supporting them, having opened a new Press Freedom Centre in Lviv.

And now I see on CNN that Lviv has been struck by 3 Russian missiles, the smoke billowing in the background.

Putin's terror war is highly targeted.

@RSF_inter At least 5 journalists — Ukrainian & foreign correspondents — have been killed while attempting to document #Russia’s war on #Ukraine, since the Feb. 24 invasion:
🇺🇦Yevhenii Sakun
🇺🇸Brent Renaud
🇺🇦Oleksandra Kuvshynova
🇮🇪Pierre Zakrzewski
🇷🇺Oksana Baulina washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/…