At the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in cooperation with the European External Action Service, eleven journalists from leading media outlets of Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mauritania, Senegal, and Togo took part in a press tour to Ukraine and Moldova from May 11 to 16, 2026.

This is the ninth press tour organised as part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine’s systematic efforts to engage media from Africa and Latin America within the framework of the communication strategies “Ukraine – African Countries” and “Ukraine – Latin America and the Caribbean”.

The aim of the press tour was to ensure accurate coverage of the situation in Ukraine for African audiences and to establish cooperation between African journalists and Ukrainian governmental, expert, and civil society organisations in the field of countering disinformation.

On the night of May 14, the journalists witnessed a massive Russian attack on Kyiv, which resulted in 24 people killed and 48 injured. They visited the site of the attack and spoke with the Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, Andrii Danyk.

During a meeting with Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Gediminas Navickas, the participants discussed the global consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the role of independent media and civil society in countering disinformation, as well as international pressure on Russia to end the war.

During a meeting with the team of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, the journalists discussed food security, humanitarian demining, the impact of the war on Ukraine’s economy, and cooperation with African countries in the agricultural sector, particularly within the framework of the “Food from Ukraine” initiative.

Special attention was paid to Russia’s recruitment of citizens from African countries to fight against Ukraine. During a meeting with representatives of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, the journalists gained access to previously undisclosed data and spoke with African prisoners of war. Together with experts from Truth Hounds, the Come Back Alive Initiative Center, and the Center for Strategic Communications, they also discussed Russian disinformation in Africa and countering foreign interference.

An important part of the program included meetings with representatives and students of educational and research institutions – Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, ADASTRA, and the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism.” Discussions focused on the development of African studies, the challenges of education during wartime, and prospects for Ukrainian-African academic projects.

During a meeting with experts from the Center for Civil Liberties and witnesses of Russian crimes, journalists learned about Russia’s human rights violations, crimes committed in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and torture inflicted on Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians.

The cultural dimension of the visit included discussions on the history of Crimea, the consequences of its temporary occupation, as well as a visit to an exhibition at the Ukrainian House marking the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. Journalists also met with representatives of Ukrainian cultural institutions, members of the African community in Ukraine, including the NGO “African Council in Ukraine,” and football players from FC Kryvbas (Kryvyi Rih).

In Lviv, the delegation visited the Superhumans Center, where they learned about innovative approaches to the rehabilitation of people affected by war. Participants also joined the Lviv Media Forum 2026 and discussed media work during wartime, visited the office of Suspilne – Ukraine’s Public Broadcaster, and met with First Deputy Mayor of Lviv Andrii Moskalenko to discuss the city’s development under wartime conditions, Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, and opportunities for cooperation with African countries.

In Chișinău, Moldova, the journalists took part in a program by the Center for Strategic Communications and Countering Disinformation focused on the impact of Russian hybrid threats, disinformation, and foreign interference.

The media visit to Ukraine was organized within the project “EU–Ukraine Strategic Communications Capacity Building Initiative”.