Frontliner is an independent Ukrainian media organization with a team of about 30 professionals — editors, journalists, digital specialists, partnerships and grants managers, and an operations and finance team.

We work where history is made today.
We document the war at the front line, in de-occupied areas, and on the home front. We record war crimes and investigate the war’s long-term consequences for people, communities, and the country.
We cover demographic shifts, inclusion, delayed trauma, and the transformation of society, always within the defining context of the war. We publish in Ukrainian and English so the world can see what is happening in Ukraine.

Our story began long before the name existed. In 2014, when Russia launched its war against Ukraine, Frontliner founder Andriy Dubchak began travelling into the combat zone to document events in Donbas. Over the years it became clear that while war was ongoing, public attention was fading. That was the moment an idea took shape – that something had to be done, that there had to be a way to systematically document our new reality.

Between 2015 and 2020, the concept of what the media organization would become gradually crystallized – its principles, format, and focus.

In 2020–2021 we began looking for like-minded people and resources to launch. In 2021 the project received support from the International Renaissance Foundation and raised funds through crowdfunding on Spilnokosht. In the second half of 2021, the NGO We Reporters was founded, and the team, Andriy Dubchak, Olena Maksymenko, Sabina Pukhka, Eva Fomicheva, launched Donbas Frontliner.

The name reflected the reality of the time: Donbas remained the epicenter of the war. We worked for an international audience, explaining the context and reminding the world that the war in Ukraine was ongoing, even as it had already been labeled “Europe’s forgotten war.”

On Feb. 24, 2022, the war engulfed the entire country. In the first months of the full-scale invasion, we had to work in conditions of complete uncertainty, holding on to what mattered most: bearing witness and documenting.
It soon became clear that the war was no longer confined to one region. The front line ran through the entire country. In the second half of 2022, we made the decision to rename our media organization Frontliner.

It was not about branding. It was about position. If the entire country had become a front line, our mission was to remain at the forefront of events, wherever that might be: on the combat line, in de-occupied cities, in home front communities, or in the stories of people living with the consequences of war.

“Frontliner: at the forefront of events.”

Since 2023, Frontliner has been expanding its work as an independent Ukrainian media organization. Our team has expanded to about 30 people, including journalists, editors, digital specialists, partnerships and grants managers, and an operations and finance team.We are broadening our coverage: alongside front line reporting, we investigate the delayed consequences of the war — demographic shifts, inclusion, and the transformation of society.

The war remains our compass. We document Ukraine’s contemporary history as it unfolds.

Frontliner has grown from the very beginning through a combination of donor support and community contributions.

In 2021, the launch of the project was made possible by a grant from the International Renaissance Foundation and donations through Spilnokosht. This allowed us to purchase basic equipment and fund the first months of operation.

Since 2022, we have carried out more than 20 grant projects with support from NED, EED, GMF, ZEIT STIFTUNG, The Fritt Ord Foundation, Internews, IMI, MDF, LMF, IPI, and other international partners.These resources allow us to invest in team safety, technical upgrades, and the development of new formats.

Starting in late 2025, we have been building a community and ambassador network, working on revenue diversification and partial monetization to strengthen our long-term financial sustainability.

Frontliner operates as an NGO registered in Ukraine, registered as an online media entity – R40-05212; 04060 – and holds its own registered trademark.

This support is more than funding.
It is a shared commitment to society’s right to know and understand what is happening.