At the end of 2013, DW recognized that the political tension in Kiev, Ukraine was something that deserved closer attention. DW reporters were on location at the Maidan when it was becoming clear that things were more serious than just public protest. In January 2014, as the situation escalated precipitously, DW released Geofaktor – a Ukrainian-language news magazine that provided a fresh perspective in what was quickly becoming an arena of misinformation.

DW remained a consistent and stable source of information as what began as a protest movement disintegrated into a geopolitical conflict with Russia at the center seeming to steer the region into chaos.

The latest step in DW’s commitment to covering Ukraine is the addition in January of a news bureau in Kiev run by DW correspondent Frank Hofmann. This expansion comes at a critical time just as the conflict in eastern Ukraine is reaching a new phase of escalation.

Coinciding with military conflict in Ukraine is a persistent and aggressive information war from Russia, which is being waged against “pro-western” media coverage. The Kremlin is pouring a lot of resources into a comprehensive international media strategy. The newly-released international online news and radio service Sputnik is at the heart of this. In Kiev alone, Sputnik is said to have a staff of 100.

The importance of independent, objective international news like DW becomes all the more important in the fight against the flood of biased news outlets. Built on a tradition of objectivity, integrity and accuracy, international audiences can trust that the reports coming from DW’s Kiev bureau represent the highest standard of news.