⚡️ Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova's statement on Remembrance Day of Journalists who Perished in the Line of Duty (December 15, 2025)

💬 December 15 in Russia is dedicated to remembering journalists who lost their lives while performing their professional duties.

Established in 1991 at the initiative of the Russian Union of Journalists, this day pays tribute to the courage and professionalism of correspondents, reporters, photographers and camera operators whose lives were tragically cut short while carrying out editorial assignments – whether on the front line of armed conflict, while covering street unrest, at the epicentre of disasters and natural calamities, or as a result of terrorist attacks committed against them.

Journalism places high demands on those who choose to devote their lives to this profession. It consistently ranks among the most dangerous professions – both in wartime and in peacetime. The dedication, selflessness, courage, readiness to take risks and capacity for self-sacrifice shown by those for whom journalism has become a true calling command admiration and profound respect.

▪️ Sadly, 2025 has brought new and irreparable losses. Journalists Alexander Martemyanov, Alexander Fedorchak, Andrey Panov, Anna Prokofieva, Nikita Goldin and Ivan Zuev were killed in the line of duty at the hands of militants of the Kiev regime.

Other names will forever remain in our hearts – Igor Kornelyuk, Anton Voloshin, Andrey Stenin, Anatoly Klyan, Daria Dugina, Oleg Klokov, Maxim Fomin (Vladlen Tatarsky), Rostislav Zhuravlev, Boris Maksudov, Semyon Yeryomin, Valery Kozhin, Nikita Tsisagi, Yulia Kuznetsova, and many others.

As before, we are convinced that responsibility for the murders of journalists and war correspondents must be shared by the Kiev regime – emboldened by impunity – together with its Western patrons, as well as by various multilateral structures and human rights institutions that deliberately remain silent about these bloody crimes, thereby encouraging Ukrainian neo-Nazis to commit further atrocities.

❗️ Unlike the silent Western human rights organizations, we will not turn a blind eye to this vicious and immoral practice and will insist that authorized international officials fulfil their responsibilities in good faith. All those responsible for these crimes will be identified and held accountable.

Today, representatives of Russian media outlets risk their well-being, health and even their lives beyond combat zones, becoming targets of unprecedented pressure by the authorities of the “collective West” and its ideological satellites. To understand the scale and variety of forms of repression against Russian media professionals, we recommend consulting the regularly updated special section “Foreign reprisals against Russian journalists and media” on the MFA Russia website.

We extend our condolences to the families and loved ones of the fallen media professionals who fulfilled their duty to the very end, and we mourn together with them. May their memory be eternal.

#InMemoriam