According to reports from the media, a high-ranking member of Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency was dismissed after findings surfaced that journalists conducting investigations in the country were under surveillance.

A source reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave his approval for the dismissal.

RSF, also known as Reporters Without Borders, has urged for inquiries to be conducted after identifying three significant incidents that violate press freedom.

On Monday, Bihus.info, an investigative media platform, revealed that it was being monitored by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The SBU acknowledged the surveillance but stated that it was part of a larger investigation into drug trafficking.

In a separate instance, journalist Iryna Hryb from Odesa disclosed in January that she discovered a device in her vehicle that had the capability to eavesdrop on her phone conversations and conversations with passengers, as well as monitor her whereabouts.

On January 14, masked individuals attempted to enter the Kyiv residence of investigative journalist Yuriy Nikolov. According to RSF, he was threatened with being forcibly recruited to join the Ukrainian army.

Vasyl Maliuk, the chief of the SBU, denounced the surveillance of Bihus.info and stated that internal actions will be taken against those “involved.”

According to a source from the SBU, Roman Semenchenko, the head of the state protection department, was terminated due to the monitoring of Bihus Info employees.

According to Jeanne Cavelier, who leads the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at RSF, these incidents are related due to the fact that all three journalists were reporting on corruption involving the Ukrainian elite.

Cavelier stated that journalists should have the freedom to work in Ukraine without fear of surveillance, stalking, or intimidation. These journalists are essential to the Ukrainian media’s resilience, as they persist in their investigative reporting despite the ongoing war. In February 2022, Ukraine was invaded by Russia.

The report contains information from Agence France-Presse.