Why did Voice of America cease operations?

The network almost ceased operations on March 15, 2025, after the administration of former President Donald Trump signed an executive order for its liquidation.

What led to the decision to bring back the Ukrainian desk?

The key event was a U.S. federal court ruling in March 2026, which ordered the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to rescind the decision that led to the layoffs of employees.

When are Ukrainian-language programs expected to return?

According to the head of the Ukrainian service, Ruslan Petrycka, colleagues are preparing to resume broadcasting as early as next week.

How many Voice of America employees were laid off in 2025?

Donald Trump's administration sent termination notices to more than 600 network employees in June 2025.

World

Voice of America Restores Ukrainian Desk After Court Victory

B.D. · Prije 2h | 2 min

The network's leadership made the decision after a federal court ruled its shutdown unlawful, with the first Ukrainian-language programs expected as early as next week.

Summary

Voice of America's leadership has decided to resume Ukrainian-language broadcasting and bring back some employees of the Ukrainian desk.
The decision came after a U.S. federal court ruled in March 2026 that the network's shutdown was unlawful.
The first programs are expected as early as next week, confirmed service head Ruslan Petrycka.
The network nearly ceased operations in March 2025 after an executive order from Donald Trump's administration, with more than 600 employees receiving termination notices.

The Ukrainian service of Voice of America (VOA) will resume broadcasting, with some journalists returning to work. This decision was made by the network's leadership, confirmed on Tuesday, August 5, 2026, by Ruslan Petrycka, head of VOA's Ukrainian service, via a Facebook post, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda.

This news comes after months of legal and political struggle that began with the decision of former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to shut down the network. "This is a very important decision! Especially now, when Russia cynically shells Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities daily, kills civilians, and continues large-scale propaganda and disinformation campaigns against Ukraine," Petrycka wrote.

The Path from Shutdown to Return

Voice of America almost completely ceased operations on March 15, 2025, after Trump signed an executive order for its "maximum liquidation." The former president then called the network "anti-Trump" and "the Voice of Radical America." In June 2025, the administration sent termination notices to more than 600 employees.

The turning point came in March 2026, when a federal judge ruled that the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) must rescind its decision that led to the resignations of VOA employees. The court thereby indirectly confirmed that the network's shutdown was unlawful, paving the way for today's decision to return.

Preparations for Broadcasting Already Underway

Petrycka announced that preparations for returning to the airwaves are already in progress. "My colleagues are already preparing to resume broadcasting next week. I hope that even more staff from our service will return to work soon. Today's changes are truly good news," he said.

Although Petrycka confirmed that he nominally remains at the helm of the Ukrainian service, he emphasized that he is still on administrative leave and therefore cannot comment on the details of the broadcasting restoration process. The news of the return was also confirmed on social media by journalist Ostap Yarysh, citing the federal court's decision.