Free Media Awards
2023
Yuriy Nikolov – Ukraine
Yuriy Nikolov comes from Ukraine and is receiving a Free Media Award for his work investigating corruption.
The journalist and co-founder of the project Nashi Hroshi (Our Money) has published exposés primarily in Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, one of Ukraine’s most influential weekly newspapers, which has been available online only since 2019. At the start of 2023, Nikolov drew international attention following his sensational discovery that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence had contracted to supply food to military units at prices two to three times higher than normal. After his report was published, the deputy defence minister was fired, the NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) launched an investigation, and food prices dropped significantly. Even though corruption scandals are a particularly sensitive issue to cover in wartime, Yuri Nikolov has demonstrated the importance of the work being done by investigative journalists in terms of ensuring accountability and transparency.