**Russian Strikes on Hotels in Ukraine: A Deliberate Threat to Journalists**
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine has taken a new and disturbing turn. For over a year, Russian forces have targeted hotels near the front lines, putting journalists at risk. The Washington Post reports that at least 25 hotels have been hit since the start of the war, making it clear that this is not just a coincidence but a deliberate campaign to silence reporters.
At first glance, these strikes seemed random and unrelated to each other. However, as time has passed, they have become more frequent and coordinated, turning journalists into targets. The precision with which Russian missiles have struck hotels suggests that these were not accidents, but carefully planned attacks aimed at intimidating media workers. According to a report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Truth Hounds, at least 24 journalists have been injured and one killed as a result of hotel bombings since 2022.
**A Strategy to Silence the Media**
The hotels targeted were not military sites, but rather places where journalists, aid workers, and other civilians would stay while covering the conflict. The Russian government has tried to justify these strikes by claiming that military personnel were present at the hotels, but this excuse has been debunked. The primary occupants of these hotels were indeed media workers, as international organizations are prohibited from overnight stays in front-line areas.
The consequences of these attacks have been severe for journalists and media outlets. Many have stopped staying in hotels or suspended their fieldwork altogether due to fear of being targeted. A staggering 64% of journalists acknowledge that the attacks have hindered their work, while 13% of media outlets have reduced or completely halted frontline deployments.
**Expert Analysis: A Shift in Tactics**
Experts note that safety decisions are often made by foreign managers who may not fully understand conditions on the ground in Ukraine. This was evident in the attack on a hotel in Kramatorsk, where two members of a media crew were injured and their security advisor was killed. As a result, many journalists are now taking extra precautions to ensure their safety, including renting apartments instead of staying in hotels.
“This is part of a larger strategy to sow terror and seek to reduce coverage of the war,” says Pauline Maufrais, regional officer for Ukraine at Reporters Without Borders. “Journalists are not mercenaries; they are there to report on what’s happening on the ground.”
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