Human rights activists from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have published an annual press freedom index, in which Ukraine ranked 97th, Deutsche Welle reports.

As noted in the message, Ukraine has dropped in this rating compared to last year by one position. With reference to the Ukrainian Institute of Mass Information (IMI), RSF reports more than 170 incidents of violence against media workers in 2020. In general, the situation in Ukraine is characterized in the human rights organization as "problematic", which is the average of five possible assessments.

The organization's website reports that the deterioration of the situation with freedom of the press in Ukraine, as in many other countries, was significantly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, RSF says that in the Ukrainian case, it is not about the consequences of the government's offensive on freedom of speech, but about "the growth of social tension and the expression of hostility to the media", which were fueled by the spread of the coronavirus and anti-epidemic measures. Human rights activists note that in Ukraine journalists were attacked by "irritated local businessmen and passers-by."

The World Press Freedom Index 2021 ranking report was released on Tuesday, April 20, the message said.