A special foundation, which will accumulate funds to help journalists, suffered as a result of the war in Donbass and the annexation of Crimea, been captured, being IDP and got into difficult conditions, was created by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU).

‘The main goal of this fund is the real help to colleagues, not in words, but in deeds, – the NUJU chairman Sergei Tomilenko assures. – This must be an impulse, with which we’ll apply to partner organizations, donors to provide us practical assistance.

We understand that, for example, Roman Suschenko, except a fact, that he is a certain symbol of fortitude, also has a family – a wife, children, left without breadwinner. That Nickolay Semena, persecuted for his professional activities, can’t earn journalism and also found himself in difficult conditions’.

A NUJU secretary, the head of the correspondent net of a newspaper ‘Golos Ukrainy’ (Voice of Ukraine), Donbass IDP Lina Kusch notes, that creation of such a fund is very important, because a lot of problems journalists forced to solve independently.

‘A lot of our colleagues left Donbass literally with one backpack, found himself in a new place without means of subsistence, – she notes. – Also, there is a need in funds for treatment. Not so long ago we were gathering money among journalist community for an editor of smashed by fighters newspaper ‘Gornyak’ Anatoly Postnov from Torez, requiring emergency medical care.

The separate question is the journalists-hostages, those, who were in captivity. Hundreds of other colleagues, remained faithful to Ukraine and the principles of the profession, need help too’.

According to words of an editor of Radio Freedom project ‘Krym.Realii’ Helen Jurchenko, not only IDPs found themselves in difficult circumstances, but also those, who didn’t find a possibility to leave and forced to stay in occupied Crimea and NGCA, having lost the opportunity to work freely.