Yurii Butusov: most important material is report on the assault on russian positions

“It is difficult to single out one material because there are many of them. I would probably single out the assault, which was well filmed and in which I participated as a journalist,” says Yurii Butusov, answering NUJU‘s question about his most important material since the beginning of the full-scale war.

The journalist, who gained well-deserved fame as a military correspondent and war observer during the war, became famous back in 2004 when he founded the online Censor.NET publication, which quickly became one of the most authoritative Ukrainian information resources.

Yurii Butusov took an active part in the Revolution of Dignity, where he became one of the reporters who suffered from the actions of the security forces. His materials about the war in Donbas were distinguished by the depth of analysis and the journalist’s presence on the scene.

Over the years, Butusov has created dozens of materials that have become testimonies of the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers. One of his strongest interviews was the story of eight fighters of the Svoboda battalion of the 4^th Brigade of the National Guard Rubizh, who, for 67 days, defended a stronghold near the village of Spirne, near Siversk. The journalist calls this interview “one of the strongest impressions in the war and life.” However, now Yurii Butusov considers his best material to be the story of a difficult assault in August 2023 together with fighters of the 59^th Brigade.

Then, the HMMWV military vehicle in which the journalist was traveling with the fighters exploded, and the tank that supported them exploded. Russian artillery covered them in a minefield, but the assault groups of the 59^th Brigade regrouped and went on the assault again, destroyed the resistance, shot down a russian FPV drone, and took one of the important russian positions at the intersection of landings, which allowed the Ukrainian troops to move forward.

48-year-old Yurii Butusov has significant experience working at the front. As a journalist, he has repeatedly covered combat operations and also participated in planning operations and making tactical and operational decisions. He was not limited to the role of an observer – he was involved in the creation of new military units and a drone control center.

During the war, he repeatedly criticized systemic problems in the AFU, advocated the transition to a corps system, and increased the efficiency of the Ukrainian army.

In May 2025, Butusov took a decisive step by mobilizing into the ranks of the National Guard of Ukraine. He joined the 13^th Separate Brigade, Charter [Khartiya], with the rank of soldier in the position of rifleman. Despite health problems, Butusov does not intend to work in the press service but strives to be directly on the front line.

“War requires decisions on the merits. That is why I decided to join the army,” the journalist explained his motivation. The journalist’s decision to mobilize and directly serve in the National Guard emphasizes his faith in victory and his willingness to act not only in words but also in deeds to defend Ukraine.

Yurii Butusov remains an example of how a journalist can combine professional duty with civic duty, word with deed, and criticism with personal responsibility for the future of the country.

NUJU Information Service