The Opposition Bloc Party regards a police raid on the office of the Vesti newspaper as impeding the media outlet's activities and called on embassies and international organizations to protect the journalistic team.

"The raid on Vesti's editorial office is a disgraceful act of intimidation of the journalistic community. The actions of the authorities are aimed solely at obstructing the activities of the media outlet and have nothing to do with law and legality," the Opposition Bloc said in a statement on Friday.

The party called on the embassies and missions of foreign countries and international organizations "to protect the Vesti newspaper and its journalistic staff."

"We declare that we will fight for the rights of every journalist. We will not allow destroying the rule of law and freedom of speech in Ukraine," the statement reads.

On Thursday, February 8, Oksana Omelchenko, editor-in-chief at Vesti Mass Media, said that Ukrainian law enforcers were searching the premises of the media holding's office in Kyiv and seizing things.