Ukraine-Russia: Oksana Baulina, Fifth Journalist -And Second Female Journo -Killed In Russian Attack
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Date: March 24, 2022
Russian journalist Oksana Baulina in 2017. Baulina was killed in a rocket strike while on assignment in Kyiv. Photo: Pavel Golovkin/AP
Oksana Baulina, a brave Russian journalist killed by Russian attacks in Kyiv; CFWIJ mourns loss of her life, loss for journalism and condemns Russia for killing five journalists since its Invasion of Ukraine.
Reporter for the independent Latvia-based investigative news website The Insider, Oksana Baulina lost her life amid a Russian offensive against the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. The incident took place earlier today in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district, where she was present to report on Russian shelling.
Oksana covered stories exposing Russian corruption and excessive state power. It was her years-long work of strong reporting that illuminated the fractures in the so-called democracy under the current regime. It was her work, that Oksana has faced press freedom threats in Russia - even though she was not going to be stifled. She was forced into exile after her former employer, opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, was wrongfully put on the list of extremist organizations in June 2021. She joined The Insider then as a reporter to cover the Russian invasion of Ukraine from Lyov and Kyiv. The Insider has released a statement following her tragic death, expressing their grief over the loss of their employee and offering condolences to the family.
The Russian military has intensified its military aggression in the residential areas of Kyiv. According to reports, a civilian also lost their life in the attack that claimed Oskana’s.
As CFWIJ has been monitoring as events unfold in Ukraine, we have reported on several killings of journalists in the line of work. Oskana herself is the fifth journalist, and second female journalist to be killed while covering this invasion. Others include Brent Renaud (TIME), Oleksandra Kuvshynova (Fox News), Pierre Zakrzewski (Fox News), Yevhenii Sakun (LIVE).
Vladimir Milov, who worked with Baulina at the Anti-Corruption Foundation, vowed in a tweet to avenge her.
"I will never forget her and to all those who are responsible for her death I promise that they won't get away with (only) a trial and a verdict," Milov wrote.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism deeply grieves the loss of Oskana Baulina and offers her loved ones our deepest condolences. Oskana’s leaves behind her the ethic of strong commitment to reporting on the truth and the courage required to demand accountability from those in power. The press community is poorer for her loss. The incident serves as a reminder of the futility of war when put in light of the cost humanity is forced to pay. The actions of the Russian forces at this stage are absolutely condemnable.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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