Ukrainska Pravda, one of Ukraine's major news outlets, announced on October 9 that ongoing and systematic pressure from the President's Office is jeopardizing the outlet's operations and attempting to sway its editorial policy.

In a statement released on their website, the outtlet reported that officials have been instructed not to engage with its journalists and have been denied access to official events. Additionally, businesses are reportedly facing pressure to withdraw their advertising from Ukrainska Pravda’s site and to refrain from sponsoring its events.

The statement also referred to a contentious exchange between Ukrainska Pravda journalist Roman Kravets and President Volodymyr Zelensky during a recent press conference, where Zelensky questioned the editorial independence of the outlet. The outlet's statement emphasized that these and other non-public signals reflect efforts to manipulate its editorial stance.

"It is particularly shocking to realize this is happening during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, when our collective fight for survival and democratic principles is crucial," the statement read. Ukrainska Pravda declared that any future pressure from the President's Office would be publicly disclosed, asserting that such attempts would only bolster their determination to reveal corruption and ineffective governance among the political elite.

Since the EuroMaidan Revolution in 2014, Ukraine’s independent media has made significant advancements, yet there have been rising concerns since the onset of the full-scale invasion by Russia, reports the Kyiv Independent, another major news outlet in the country.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) indicated in June that press freedom in Ukraine is "shrinking," pointing to a "worrying decline" in support for media independence and heightened pressure from state and political actors. This statement followed a month after RSF's annual press freedom index showed Ukraine had improved compared to the previous year.

As reported by the Kyiv Independent in July, media organizations continue to face various forms of pressure from authorities, as noted by Ukrainian editors and press freedom advocates, following a public outcry after attacks on investigative journalists. "We have frequently faced pressure in our work. However, the last time we encountered such economic restrictions was during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma," said Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, referencing the president who served from 1994 to 2005.

Since its establishment in 2000, two journalists from Ukrainska Pravda have been killed: co-founder Georgiy Gongadze and chief editor Pavel Sheremet. Gongadze, known for his criticisms of Kuchma, was kidnapped on September 16, 2000, with his decapitated body found two months later in a forest near Kyiv. Sheremet, a Belarusian-born journalist, was killed in a car bombing in central Kyiv on July 20, 2016.

Musayeva underscored the need to publicize the pressures facing Ukrainska Pravda and urged international audiences to take notice. "Ukraine must remain a democracy, and freedom of speech is one of the most crucial values in a free society," she stated.