RFE/RL Journalist Detained in Crimea Amid Funding Crisis for Ukraine Service

March 24, 2025 – Russie/Crimea – 

Artem Lysak, an investigative journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Crimea. The Realities project was detained by Russian authorities while working undercover in Russian-occupied Crimea. Lysak, who previously reported under the pseudonym Nazar Sytnyk from 2016 to 2020, focused on exposing human rights abuses and documenting the daily realities faced by Crimean residents after Russia’s annexation in 2014. His arrest highlights the dangerous conditions journalists endure when reporting in authoritarian and conflict-affected regions where freedom of the press is severely restricted.

Lysak’s work involved considerable risk, including constant surveillance and interrogations by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). His detention is part of a wider pattern of targeting journalists who seek to uncover inconvenient truths in occupied territories, effectively silencing independent voices. Media watchdogs have condemned the arrest, calling for his immediate release and underscoring the importance of protecting journalists in hostile environments.

Simultaneously, RFE/RL faces a significant financial challenge after the U.S. government abruptly cut its funding in early 2025. The Trump administration disbanded the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which managed federal grants to RFE/RL, including its Ukrainian service. This funding cut has put RFE/RL’s operations in Ukraine and surrounding areas in jeopardy, threatening the availability of independent news for millions living amid ongoing conflict and political instability.

In response, the European Union has pledged emergency funding of €5.5 million (around $6.2 million) to help sustain RFE/RL’s broadcasting services, particularly targeting Ukraine and neighboring countries. However, EU officials have acknowledged that their support cannot fully replace the lost U.S. funding, leaving the future of some journalistic programs uncertain.

The dual challenges of journalist detentions and funding cuts reveal the precarious state of independent media reporting in regions under authoritarian control and conflict. They emphasize the critical need for continued international support to ensure the survival of free and independent journalism, which is essential for accountability, human rights, and democratic resilience.

Reference – 

https://kyivindependent.com/us-decision-to-cut-radio-free-europe-funding-leaves-ukraines-service-in-limbo/

https://www.rferl.org/a/rferl-journalist-detained-working-undecrover-crimea-russia/33356720.html