Veteran Ukraine journalist on life covering Russian invasion of his country: We're trying to give 'hope'
Ukraine's journalists are dispersed across country covering war touching all aspects of life
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A veteran Ukrainian journalist gave a glimpse into the day-to-day operation of managing a news team dispersed by a pandemic and now an invasion.
Director General of the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency of News Misha Gannytskyi, speaking from Zhytomyr, told Fox News Digital it took him eight hours to drive there from the Ukraine capital just 75 miles away. The north-central city is also not safe from Russian bombardment, but he traveled there to assist elderly family members, taking back roads with the normal roads blocked.
"We're doing all that we can do," Gannytskyi said, pointing out he had correspondents around the country, including one in the eastern city of Sumy that's been ravaged by Russian forces. "
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His agency reports on troop movements and Russian attacks, but the kinetic part of the conflict is hardly the only topic in a war that's touching every aspect of Ukrainian life.
The agency is covering issues like how people in neighboring countries like Poland can accommodate refugees, the fuel crisis and transportation tips on safe passage for Ukrainians, as well as how Ukraine can restore an economy that's been damaged by the invasion and mass exodus of citizens.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Talking about a life beyond the war with stories about, for example, restarting the country's agricultural sector, gives "hope" to readers, Gannytskyi said.
"We're also writing articles and stories about how we will rebuild our country," he said. "This topic also gives a lot of hope to readers … [It's] not about the current massacre."
One job for someone running a Ukrainian news outlet? Finding bulletproof helmets for journalists in the hottest parts of the war, or they won't be given media accreditation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Without [helmets], our minister of defense doesn't allow accreditation to move to the hottest points, which is reasonable because in a correspondent may be injured or killed, it will be a problem for our soldiers," he explained.
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For Gannytskyi's employees in Kyiv, some are forced to work from subway metro stations.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Very good that we have WiFi there, so they can work from the metro stations more or less safe," he said. "Some of them continue doing their job from their houses, and sometimes they need to work from the basements because of bombings and missile strikes."
Through attacks from the air and cyber attacks on the country's information infrastructure, Ukraine's television, radio, print and digital journalists are racing to keep the country informed.
Gannytskyi's main message to the west mirrors that of others working inside Ukraine: They want the sky closed, a term for enforcing a no-fly zone.
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"The main narrative we are trying to deliver is that we in Ukraine need our skies to be protected," he said. "Maybe not over all the country because we understand nobody wants to start direct war with Russia, so maybe we don't need NATO planes over the front line, but at least allies and the U.S. could protect the western part of the country where there is not fighting, where it is peaceful."