Representatives of the Norwegian mass media who wish to visit Ukraine during the war for the purpose of carrying out journalistic activities must obtain accreditation from the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

To do this, they need to fill out the appropriate form, in particular indicating their personal and passport data, the name of the media they represent, their position and their journalistic ID number. This form must be filled in a text editor (not by hand).

The following files must be added to the completed form (in good quality and named accordingly: “photo”, “passport”, “id”, “letter”):

• photo 35x45 mm;
• photocopy of passport (first and second pages);
• photocopy of journalistic ID;
• letter from the editor-in-chief (head) of the mass media with a request for accreditation of the journalist.

All of these documents should be sent by e-mail to [email protected] (backup email – [email protected]).

After that, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine verifies the submitted documents and, if a positive decision is made, sends the electronic version of the press card to the applicant.

The provided press card must be presented at the request of the military and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. At the same time, the journalist must be equipped with a bulletproof vest and a helmet. The lack of personal protective equipment may become an obstacle to visiting certain areas of Ukraine.

If a journalist violates the conditions of journalistic activity, discloses confidential information or transfers a press card to other person, such a journalist will lose his/her accreditation without the right to restore it.

To check the validity of accreditation a special service has been created at the telephone number: +380 (89) 420 18 64.

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in conditions of war and martial law, are not responsible for the life and health of media representatives of foreign countries who are in the area of hostilities.

What information is not allowed to be disclosed

Foreign media representatives are prohibited from disclosing the following information:

• names of Ukrainian military units (subdivisions) and other military facilities of Ukraine in the area of combat (special) missions, geographical coordinates of their location;
• number of personnel of Ukrainian military units (divisions);
• number of weapons and military equipment, material and technical means of Ukraine, their condition and storage locations;
• descriptions, images and conditional labels that identify or may identify Ukrainian military installations;
• information about operations (combat actions) carried out or planned by Ukraine;
• information about the system of protection and defence of military facilities of Ukraine and the means of protection of personnel, weapons and military equipment that are used (other than those visible or obviously represented);
• procedure for attracting forces and means of Ukraine to perform combat (special) missions;
• information about the collection of intelligence data by Ukraine (techniques and methods, forces and attracted funds);
• information about the movement and deployment of Ukrainian troops (name, number, places, areas, routes);
• information about military units (subdivisions) of Ukraine, forms, methods, tactics of their actions and ways of using them;
• information about unique operations by Ukraine, indicating the techniques and methods that were used;
• information about deferred or cancelled operations of Ukraine;
• information about a missing or downed jet, aircraft, ship of Ukraine and search and rescue operations that are planned or being carried out;
• information about Ukraine′s planning and conducting security measures of using the troops (disinformation, imitation, demonstrative actions, camouflage, countering technical intelligence and protection of information);
• information about information and psychological operations carried out by Ukraine;
• information on the effectiveness of forces and means of russian electronic warfare;
• information aimed at promoting or justification of Russia’s large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.

If the fact of disclosure of sensitive military information is confirmed, a representative of a foreign media may be held criminally liable in accordance with the Law of Ukraine on Amendments to the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Ukraine to counteract unauthorized dissemination of information about the direction, movement of international military assistance to Ukraine, movement, displacing or deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine or other military formations of Ukraine, committed in a state of martial law or in a state of emergency.