Ukrainian-language American broadcasting is coming back after more than a year of silence. Voice of America (VOA) is restoring service and returning part of its Ukrainian department staff to work, the outlet's head, Ruslan Petrychka, announces.
The return revives an American voice countering Russian propaganda in Ukraine at a moment when Russia is escalating both its strikes and its disinformation.
Petrychka called the decision very important, especially now that Russia cynically shells Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities daily, kills civilians, and continues large-scale propaganda campaigns against Ukraine.
"My colleagues are already preparing to resume broadcasts next week. I hope that even more employees of our service will return to work soon," he added.
Broadcasts resume next week
Petrychka said the service is already preparing to return to the air. His colleagues are getting ready to resume broadcasts next week, and he said he hoped more of the service's staff would return to work soon.
The Ukrainian service had gone dark along with the rest of VOA. Its staff, like the broadcaster's employees generally, were placed on administrative leave in May 2025, which suspended its broadcasting.
The shutdown followed a Trump order
The silence began with a White House decision. In March 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at cutting the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company of VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and other US-funded international broadcasters, EP reported at the time. USAGM funding was to be cut to a minimum, and VOA employees were sent on leave.
Representatives of these organizations sued to challenge the decision.
A court forced the restoration
The revival came through the courts, not a change of heart. In March 2026, US federal judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to restore VOA's work, after much of the broadcaster had effectively been shut down a year earlier, CBS News reported.
The Ukrainian service's return is one piece of that court-ordered restoration finally taking effect.
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