Sergiy Tomilenko is a Ukrainian journalist and human rights advocate, serving as President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) since 2017. Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, he has focused on protecting journalists as civilians, defending press freedom, and advocating for accountability for crimes committed against media workers.

He leads international advocacy efforts to support journalists detained by Russia, assist their families, and ensure that attacks on the media are documented and included in international justice processes. Tomilenko works closely with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), UNESCO, OSCE, the Council of Europe, and European institutions.

Under his leadership, NUJU has built a nationwide network of six Journalists’ Solidarity Centers that provide safety equipment, emergency support, training, and psychological assistance for journalists working under war conditions.

Serving on the EFJ Steering Committee, he works to strengthen cross-border solidarity as the foundation for protecting journalism in conflict zones and beyond.