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American and Brazilian journalists threatened over Ukraine reporting

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American and Brazilian journalists threatened over Ukraine reporting

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New York, March 26, 2026—Ukrainian authorities must promptly and thoroughly investigate recent threats against Jared Goyette, a U.S. reporter with English-language Ukrainian news outlet the Kyiv Independent, and Sérgio Utsch, a Brazilian correspondent with Brazilian television network SBT, following their investigation into alleged abuses in a military unit fighting under Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR), the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday.

“Ukrainian authorities must conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the intimidation of journalists Jared Goyette and Sergio Utsch, hold those responsible to account, and ensure that members of the press are not harassed or threatened over their work,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Journalists must be able to report on matters of public interest safely and freely. It is particularly crucial that they be able to do so when covering military matters during wartime.”

The investigation, co-published on February 18, revealed allegations of abuse and torture within a Brazilian-led foreign fighter unit operating under an international HUR unit called the International Legion, which led to the death of a 23-year-old Brazilian recruit on a Kyiv military base in late December 2025.

On February 25, Brazilian commander Leanderson Paulino, who leads the unit, commented on the allegations in a 13-minute video, denouncing a “Russian operation coordinated with Brazilian broadcasters.” On February 28, Paulino posted a series of Instagram stories, reviewed by CPJ, in which he accused Goyette of taking money from Russia “​​to design and plan a major act of sabotage against my battalion,” meaning that the journalist had planned to give the battalion a bad reputation. “Did you split the money with [Utsch] from SBT, or did you take the money just for yourself?” he posted. 

He also posted several photos of Goyette and addressed him directly, saying: “Hang in there, kid. Get ready for more.” 

“He also tagged me and I obviously felt directly threatened,” Utsch, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014, told CPJ. 

In a March 18 letter to the Kyiv Independent reviewed by CPJ, HUR’s International Legion said it had ordered an internal investigation into the threats made against Goyette, and stated that it “does not tolerate instances of pressure on media representatives, obstruction of journalistic activities, or threats, which cannot be justified by either military status or wartime conditions.”

The legion said it had reminded personnel to be careful about making what could be considered threats on social media. 

As of March 25, HUR had not taken any concrete measures following the launch of the internal investigation, Utsch told CPJ. CPJ emailed HUR’s press service but did not immediately receive a reply. 



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