Ukraine Press Tour for Journalists from the Eastern Partnership Countries

From 11 to 16 May 2026, the FES Regional Office “Dialogue Eastern Europe” organised a press tour across Ukraine for journalists from Eastern Partnership countries. The programme brought together media professionals from across the region for an intensive journey through Odesa, Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and Lviv – offering direct insight into the realities of life in Ukraine during the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale war.

At a time when international attention to the war is increasingly challenged by global crises and signs of “war fatigue,” the initiative aimed to provide participants with firsthand experience, access to local voices, and space for independent reporting.

The tour began in Odesa, where participants explored the city’s wartime atmosphere and discussed Ukraine’s security and foreign policy. Journalists also met representatives of the local media community at the IMI Regional Hub “Mediabase Odesa, Kherson.”

In Kyiv, participants engaged in discussions with politicians, civil society representatives, veterans, journalists, and members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The programme also included visits to Kyiv locations affected by Russian attacks and meetings with members of Georgian, Armenian, and other communities living and working in Ukraine.

One of the most emotional parts of the tour was the visit to Bucha and Irpin in the Kyiv region. Participants saw the remains of destroyed civilian infrastructure, visited sites connected to Russian war crimes, including the mass grave near the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle and All Saints in Bucha, and observed ongoing reconstruction efforts in the liberated areas.

The final stage of the programme took place in Lviv, where participants attended the Lviv Media Forum and continued their journalistic work and networking.

Throughout the tour, journalists had the opportunity to conduct interviews, gather material for future publications, and better understand how Ukrainian society continues to live, work, resist, and rebuild under the conditions of war.