Another step toward constructive communication between the media and the military. The Commander‑in‑Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, by Order No. 51 dated February 3, 2024, approved amendments to Order No. 73 regarding the rules for accrediting journalists during martial law. For the first time, a detailed description of zones has been introduced, which had previously been completely absent.

According to the changes published by the Ministry of Defense, accredited media representatives are now allowed to work without escort in public places within the “yellow” zone. In addition, item 1.10 was removed from Annex No. 1, which previously required the immediate termination of a media representative’s work at a military facility “in the event of a situation that may threaten their life and health…”. From now on, safety considerations will no longer be grounds for banning filming.

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Red zone

According to the amendments, work by certain accredited media representatives in the “red” zone may be permitted only as an exception and exclusively under the escort of designated officials. While working in the “red” zone, media representatives are required to submit the collected photo and video materials for review and to coordinate their distribution and publication with the responsible official.

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Yellow zone

Media work in public places within the yellow zone, which are freely accessible to civilians, is permitted without escort by a public affairs officer or another official designated by the commander, within a route approved by the commanding officer. Previously, journalists were allowed to work in the yellow zone only under escort. Such an accreditation application is reviewed within three calendar days from the date of submission.

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Accreditation

In addition, changes have been made to the procedure for accrediting media representatives during the legal regime of martial law (Annex 3). Accreditation is now granted for a period of up to 12 months. Previously, media workers received a new‑format press card valid for up to six months.

The possibility has also been added for bloggers to obtain Armed Forces of Ukraine accreditation, provided they register in accordance with the Law “On Media” as entities in the field of online media.

The list of information prohibited from disclosure has also been expanded (contained in Annex 2):

  • The actual names of military units (subunits) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other components of Ukraine’s defense forces, personal data of service members performing combat (special) tasks, and the coordinates of their locations and concentrations.
  • The combat and numerical strength of military units (subunits) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the available quantity, types of combat (special) equipment, and its technical composition.
  • Locations (areas) of concentration, deployment, and restoration of combat capability of military units (subunits) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with reference to populated areas (geographical objects).
  • Current and future plans (intentions) of commands (commanders), combat (special) tasks, and the progress of their execution by military units (subunits) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
  • Information about losses of combat (special) equipment (tanks, self‑propelled artillery systems, aircraft, helicopters, surface‑to‑air missile systems, ships (boats), especially foreign‑made) and personnel, if such information has not been made publicly available by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and/or other defense authorities.
  • Movement (deployment) of combat (special) equipment, routes of movement, types, and quantities.
  • Photo and video materials depicting identification markings, hull numbers, and state registration plates on combat (special) equipment; targeting systems; combat command and reconnaissance systems; and structural features of combat (special) equipment.
  • Photo and video materials taken inside tanks, self‑propelled artillery systems, surface‑to‑air missile systems, armored combat vehicles, and tactical aviation aircraft, especially those of foreign manufacture.

A full list of prohibitions is available in the official document.

With the start of Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, photo documentarians covering the war have faced even greater challenges, as personal risks and threats to life have increased many times over. For more on personal and digital safety, see the material “What Is Shot Cannot Be Deleted. How Photojournalists Work at the Sites of Russian Shelling and in the Combat Zone.”

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Worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Literary editor: Yuliia Futei

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