The Interfax-Ukraine news agency regrets to announce the death of the agency's founder and head, Oleksandr Martynenko, in Kyiv on Tuesday. He was 63 years old.

The agency team continues to work in full. All news and other information products are and will be published as before. Interfax-Ukraine employees express gratitude for the emotional support for the team in connection with the loss and warm words addressed to the founder of the agency and, for their part, express condolences to the family and friends of Oleksandr Martynenko.

O. Martynenko, born in 1960, graduated from the Faculty of Economics of Kharkiv State University, created and headed the Interfax-Ukraine agency in 1992. He was also deputy head (1991) and consultant (2001) of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, press secretary of the President of Ukraine (1998-2001), secretary of the Council on Information Policy under the President of Ukraine (2001-2002), and member of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting (2002-2003).

He is a holder of the Order of Merit, third degree (2022), the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, fifth degree (2020). Since 2010 – Honored Journalist of Ukraine.