CPJ urges Ukraine to investigate threats against journalists following International Legion unit exposé

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is calling on Ukraine to promptly and thoroughly investigate recent threats against Jared Goyette, a U.S. reporter with the 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 (DIU). 

“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,” Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, stated. 

The investigation, co-published on February 18, 2026, revealed allegations of abuse and torture within a Brazilian-led foreign fighter unit operating under an international DIU 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 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, DIU’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. 

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

To provide background, the family of Brazilian military volunteer Bruno Gabriel Leal da Silva is demanding that Ukraine repatriate his body. The young man died late last year, allegedly following a fatal beating at a military base in the Kyiv Oblast.