Ukraine has risen to 55th place out of 180 countries in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) — up seven positions over the past year and 50 positions since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022 The United States, by contrast, fell seven places to 64th.
The index scores countries across five indicators: political, economic, social, cultural, and security. Ukraine improved on the political, social, and cultural indicators, RSF's Ukraine project lead Pauline Mauffret told Suspilne, crediting an active civil society and independent media willing to confront those in power.
"Ukraine's media space is very resilient. Journalists here still investigate what is happening in the country, challenge the authorities — and this leads to greater transparency," Mauffret said.
Up 50 places since 24 February 2022 — but RSF still calls Ukraine's situation "problematic"
Among the concrete gains Mauffret cited: the Verkhovna Rada reopened its committee meetings to journalists from January 2026, and a WhatsApp chat now connects President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with hundreds of Ukrainian reporters as a form of direct dialogue.
Despite the climb, Mauffret described press freedom in Ukraine as "problematic." RSF is calling on Kyiv to wind down the unified TV telethon, which the organization argues weakens television pluralism, and to tighten the media law on ownership transparency. The watchdog also wants barriers to journalistic work in front-line regions removed, naming Kherson and Sumy oblasts, "where some members of the military do not let reporters through without explanations linked to security," in Mauffret's words.
Court cases against those who have persecuted journalists remain open, with no verdicts to date, Mauffret added. The country's score on the safety indicator stays low because of daily Russian strikes across Ukrainian territory.
Russia holds 26 Ukrainian journalists. The US drops to 64th
Russia is detaining 26 Ukrainian journalists, either on its own territory or in occupied parts of Ukraine, according to RSF — making it the world's single largest jailer of foreign media workers. Of the 48 journalists currently held in Russian prisons, 26 are Ukrainian.
"They have all been deported either to other Ukrainian territories under temporary occupation or to Russia itself," Mauffret said.
RSF has filed 10 complaints with the International Criminal Court over Russian war crimes against the media. The most recent, lodged in February 2026, concerns crimes against humanity: on average, a journalist in Ukraine has come under Russian attack every 11 days.
Globally, the average press freedom score reached its lowest point in 25 years, with more than half the world's population now living in countries rated "difficult" or "very difficult" for media. Norway, the Netherlands, Estonia, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, and Switzerland top the index. Among Ukraine's neighbors: Poland is 27th, Moldova 31st, Romania 49th, Hungary 74th. Russia ranks 172nd.
