During the Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery in Gdańsk, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, with support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, announced the allocation of 1.5 million euros to support Ukrainian media and civil society organizations in 2026–2027.

This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Culture, according to Ukrinform.

It is noted that the new aid package was announced during the panel discussion “Recovery Under Attack: Protecting Trust, Media, and Transparency from Russia’s Cognitive Warfare,” in which Deputy Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine Tetiana Berezhna participated.

The panel focused on countering information threats, supporting independent media, and strengthening public trust amid a full-scale war. The Ministry of Culture notes that, for the first time in the history of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, a separate discussion on media took place specifically within the context of security. According to the statement, the allocated funding will be directed toward strengthening media resilience, developing independent journalism, and supporting Ukraine’s democratic institutions.

“Russia is attacking Ukraine physically—with missiles, drones, and strikes on cities and infrastructure. At the same time, it is waging an information war, attempting to undermine trust in the state, democratic institutions, and the recovery process. Therefore, transparency, strong independent media, investigative journalism, and media literacy are crucial elements of our resilience,” Berezhna emphasized.

The minister noted that, despite the war, Ukraine is strengthening its democratic institutions.

“In 2026, we rose to 55th place in the World Press Freedom Index. That’s a jump of 51 positions compared to 2022. A particular focus is on the safety of journalists. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia has committed over 950 crimes against journalists and media outlets in Ukraine. 132 media workers have been killed, 15 of them while performing their professional duties. At least 26 civilian journalists remain in Russian captivity,” she recalled.

The head of the Ministry of Culture also noted that Russia is simultaneously carrying out military attacks and waging a cognitive war, attempting to undermine trust in the state, democratic institutions, and the very process of Ukraine’s recovery. That is why, she said, transparency, independent journalism, investigative reporting, and the development of media literacy are integral components of national resilience.

Other panelists included Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s Minister of the Interior and Administration; Anthony John Maxwell Borden, Executive Director of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR); Thibaut Bruttin, Director General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation Katerina Zakharieva, Chair of the Verkhovna Rada’s Temporary Investigative Commission on Crimes Committed by the Russian Federation Against Journalists Yevheniia Kravchuk, and Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska. The discussion was moderated by Laurynas Vaičiūnas.