Kyiv Independent editor-in-chief shortlisted for 2025 Gongadze Prize

Kyiv Independent Editor-in-Chief Olga Rudenko was shortlisted on April 11 for the 2025 Georgiy Gongadze Prize, a national award honoring independent journalism in Ukraine.

The prize recognizes journalists who demonstrate innovation, impact, and a firm commitment to the principles of independent journalism.

The winner will be announced on May 21, the birthday of Gongadze, a prominent investigative journalist and co-founder of Ukrainska Pravda who was murdered in 2000 after criticizing then-president Leonid Kuchma.

Other nominees include Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey, a Reuters war correspondent who was seriously injured during a August 2024 attack on Kramatorsk, and Mykhailo Tkach, head of Ukrainska Pravda’s investigations team since 2021.

The prize is awarded by a board composed of previous winners, media experts, a representative of the patronage community, and three invited media experts. It honors individuals who contribute significantly to Ukrainian journalism and uphold its values amid the ongoing challenges of war and disinformation.

Last year’s winner was journalist and media trainer Tetiana Troshchynska.

‘Today we will pledge billions’ for Ukraine — allies begin Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky would join the meeting, co-chaired by Germany and the U.K., through a video conference, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told journalists.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek