WHEN WAR CAME TO OUR NEWSROOM
Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – Ukrainian journalists from Radio Free Europe report on the war in their homeland, experiencing it firsthand every day.
Mass graves in Mariupol, child abductions to Russia, atrocities by brutal mercenary troops – journalists from the Ukrainian investigative news project “Schemes” run by Radio Free Europe have spent two years reporting on the war in their homeland and experiencing it firsthand every day. This series offers a glimpse into their lives. Editorial meetings in bomb shelters, frontline investigations, the death of a colleague – all this is part of the journalists’ new reality. The highly professional and dedicated members of the team demonstrate the critical role fact-based journalism plays in Ukraine’s still fledgling democracy. As chief editor Nataliya Sedletska stresses: “What good would it be to win the war against the Russians if we lose Ukraine in the process?” The series sheds light on the work but also the personal lives of the journalists as they grapple with the grim realities of war. On 28 April 2022, Russian missiles targeted a residential building, killing Radio Svoboda journalist Vira Hyrych. Struggling to come to terms with her loss, fellow journalist Serhiy Andrushko decides to make a film about the circumstances of Hyrych’s death. The series reflects on the collective trauma experienced by people throughout Ukraine.