Reuters defended its decision to livestream from Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti on March 4, stating it had “requested authorization in the manner previously agreed with the President’s Office.”
In response to an inquiry from Kyiv Post, a Reuters spokesperson stated:
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“Reuters briefly broadcast live from Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv on March 4, 2025, after having requested authorization in the manner previously agreed with the President’s Office and the State Protection Service.”
“We subsequently complied with a request by authorities to discontinue transmission.”
On the day the Reuters broadcast launched, the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA), Timur Tkachenko, wrote on Telegram: “No request for permission to broadcast was received. We have alerted the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine). The broadcast was promptly stopped.”
The Reuters livestream depicted Kyiv’s central square and flags commemorating fallen Ukrainian soldiers.
The livestream’s description referenced US President Donald Trump’s reported decision to pause military aid to Ukraine following his confrontation with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
This was not the first such broadcast by Reuters. On Feb. 18, Reuters also live-streamed from Maidan Nezalezhnosti, placing a camera on the roof of the Ukraina Hotel. Both streams were posted on YouTube and remain accessible.
At the time, an activist, Yulia Reshitko, suggested in a Facebook post that the livestream could have been an attempt to capture air defense activity or to protest against US negotiations with Russia.
Tkachenko acknowledged public concerns, adding that law enforcement had been alerted, and the Reuters broadcast was stopped accordingly.
During Ukraine’s full-scale war, strict restrictions govern photography and videography. Filming or photographing missile launches, impact sites, or areas hit by shelling is strictly forbidden.
Live-streaming of Russian attacks is also prohibited, as it could help the Russians adjust their fire. Violating these rules may lead to criminal liability.
That said, Kyiv’s central square is a public place that was neither the site of a Russian attack nor impact site on March 4.
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