Additional Context: This quote was obtained by Human Rights Watch, or HRW, in an interview with a representative from the International Partnership for Human Rights, or IPHR.

Devex Researcher Note: The U.S. funding freeze has hit many media outlets that had received funds through USAID, the State Department, and the United States Agency for Global Media, or USAGM. Funding from USAGM for outlets covering Crimea included Krym.Realii, or Crimea.Realities, which was the arm of Radio Free Europe bypassing Kremlin restrictions to deliver local and independent news in the Russian-occupied territories. According to a survey published in the Columbia Journalism Review, over 80% of the revenue for Ukranian media outlets came from foreign aid sources. Funding cuts to U.S. agencies, the director of a Ukranian media foundation said, ushered in the quick end of the "golden era" of journalism in the country, during which U.S. support had allowed "high-quality coverage to proliferate," leaving the information space open for Russian takeover.

Source: Human Rights Watch