Odesa Military Operation Center Implements New Journalist Access Rules

Journalists working in the area of responsibility of the Odesa military operation center need to follow the new access rules that divide the territory into red, yellow and green zones. Violation of the established requirements may lead to loss of accreditation, so media representatives should coordinate their activities with the press center of the Southern Defense Forces in advance.

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv Regional State Administration.

The decision was made in accordance with the order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine No. 73 of March 3, 2022, to ensure the safety of journalists and protect military facilities.

The red zone completely prohibits the work of journalists. It includes critical and military infrastructure, ports, and dangerous areas, among others:

• Odesa region - Zmeinyi Island and border areas in the Transnistrian direction;
• Vinnytsia region - border areas;
• De-occupied territories in Mykolaiv region (Snihurivka, Lyman, Lupareve, etc.) and Kherson region (Posad-Pokrovske, Vysokopillia, Davydiv Brid, etc.);
• Coastal communities along the Kakhovka Reservoir in Dnipropetrovska oblast.

Theyellow zone allows accredited journalists to work only when accompanied by a public relations officer. This regime is in effect in certain areas of Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa and Dnipro regions. These include: Kherson (except for the southern part), Mykolaiv, Ochakiv and Kutsurub communities, as well as areas along the Danube in Odesa region.

The greenzone remains open for journalists to work without a mandatory escort. This includes most of the territories of Kirovohrad, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Vinnytsia regions, except for the regions classified as red and yellow zones.

The command warned that in case of violation of the rules of staying in the zones, journalists could be deprived of their accreditation. Media representatives working in the red or yellow zones should coordinate their activities with the joint press center of the southern defense forces.

At the end of 2024, it became known that at least 121 activists, volunteers, human rights defenders, and journalists were killed as a result of the full-scale war waged by Russia against Ukraine. The report paid special attention to media professionals who continued to do their jobs despite the danger.

According to the Institute of Mass Information, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 664 crimes against journalists and media have been recorded, and 91 members of the profession have been killed, 12 of them in the line of duty.

Due to the war, 329 media outlets have ceased operations in Ukraine, which has led to the emergence of so-called "news deserts" - areas where there is a lack of journalists and local publications. A study by the Media Development Foundation found that only 23% of Ukraine's regions have sufficient news coverage, while the rest have partially or completely lost access to quality news. The situation is better in the South of the country: Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions form the so-called "green belt".

At the same time, the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting registered Intent as an online media entity. In fact, this is a re-registration: in 2022, the resource changed its name from Izbirk, which, in turn, was founded by the Odesa regional organization of the Committee of Voters of Ukraine in 2009.

Анна Бальчінос