The Ukrainian television channel NewsOne has said it cancelled plans to arrange a TV linkup with the Russian TV channel Rossiya-24 (VGTRK).

"NewsOne announces the cancellation of the Need to Talk television marathon because of direct threats of physical reprisals addressed to the channel, its journalists, and their families," NewsOne said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

The attempt to set up a forum for discussing nonpolitical matters between ordinary people has prompted "a number of political parties to start a mass informational attack on our TV channel lately," it said.

"This involved statements on protests near the channel [headquarters] and, since last night, direct threats of physical reprisals against journalists and their families," NewsOne said.

"We believe a human life is the main and absolute value, and therefore the ending of the war, establishing peace, and returning Ukrainian captives home should be the main subject for discussion by all Ukrainian media," it said.