Fondation Hirondelle became a donor of the Donbas Media Forum — the largest media forum in Ukraine. This year, 1,426 participants took part according to electronic registration. The Forum featured 75 discussions and workshops, 12 film screenings, and 9 exhibitions. The event was supported by 88 partners, including Fondation Hirondelle.
Sabra Ayres, Head of the Ukrainian Office of Fondation Hirondelle, said:
“Fondation Hirondelle has been working in Ukraine since 2022, implementing together with its local partner — the Institute of Regional Media and Information (IRMI) — a multi-component initiative aimed at strengthening independent media across Ukraine. To increase the effectiveness of our work in Ukraine, Fondation Hirondelle opened its office in Kyiv in 2025, and participation in the Donbas Media Forum became the first major media event where we were represented. Together with our partner IRMI, we organized a discussion titled ‘Transformation of Regional Newsrooms During the War: Paths to Sustainable Development.’
The discussion featured Fondation Hirondelle/IRMI grantees: Oleh Dereniuga, founder of the online media outlet MykVisti (Mykolaiv); Nataliia Kobzar, editor-in-chief of the Status Quo news agency (Kharkiv); Nataliia Popovych, director of the Horodok District TV and Press Center (Horodok); Maryna Osipova, journalist and project manager at the Visnyk Ch newspaper (Chernihiv); and Svitlana Zalizetska, editor-in-chief of RIA-Pivden and RIA-Melitopol media (Zaporizhzhia).
During their presentations, the grantees shared with colleagues their experiences in developing regional media, focusing on aspects such as creating multimedia content, engaging audiences through subscriptions, and achieving financial independence for newsrooms.
In addition, Fondation Hirondelle and IRMI presented at the Donbas Media Forum a photo exhibition titled ‘Ukraine’s Frontline Newsrooms’ by Anton Shtuka. The photographer traveled through eastern and southeastern frontline regions of Ukraine to document the work of local media under the pressure of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The photographs depict journalists at work and in their newsrooms.
In 2025, Fondation Hirondelle and its partners supported more than 50 local newsrooms across Ukraine, helping them deliver objective reporting to millions of citizens on issues of security, humanitarian needs, justice, reconstruction, and recovery.
Partner media produced hundreds of stories highlighting the experiences of civilians living in conflict zones, as well as the broader impact of the war on the economic and political life of the regions.