"Since the beginning of the year, 23 incidents of physical aggression against journalists have been recorded," the statement from the union said.

NUJU President Sergiy Tomilenko said in January that his organizations recorded a total of 86 attacks on press workers in the country in 2018. Of this total, 10 attacks were perpetrated by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and 12 by government officials, Tomilenko added.

World Press Freedom Day, celebrated annually on May 3, was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly back in December 1993. It aims to "defend media" across the globe from attacks on their independence and "pay tribute to journalists who lost their lives in the line of duty."