Journalist Oleksii Pasiuha: “The worst thing is to be under occupation. It’s better to be under fire than under occupation.” 

Oleksii Pasiuha, the chief editor of the “Vorskla” newspaper in Velyka Pysarivka, dedicated over a quarter of a century to journalism. He survived an occupation. Alongside his team, he distributed combat leaflets “With Ukraine in the Heart” even while under fire. He refused to collaborate with the occupiers, even though it almost cost him his life. Later, he resumed the work of the editorial office under the Ukrainian flag.

Just four days before the war. Velyka Pysarivka.

On Sunday, February 20th, Oleksii drove his wife to the bus station. She was heading to Kharkiv to visit their daughter. On the way back, he received an unknown call, but the voice was familiar. His wife had borrowed a phone since she forgot hers in a rush or due to nervousness. In a panic, Oleksii turned back to catch the bus already on its way. When he handed her the phone, she said, “Bad omen.” Little did they know those words would foretell the future…

February 24th. The beginning of the war.

Four days later, a phone call shattered the morning silence. Oleksii was stunned to hear his military friend say, “War, they’re firing at you!” His head was spinning, but he quickly called a neighbor and shouted into the phone, “They’re shooting, it’s a war, get out!” As Oleksii hurried outside to locate the source of the gunfire, his neighbor and family left to secure their property and pets.

— The full-scale Russian aggression began in our town on February 24th, about 8 to 10 minutes earlier than in other cities. We were shelled before our neighbors. The residents of the Velyka Pysarivka community couldn’t believe the attack was happening. How could this be? We had long-standing family ties, our children studied in the nearby Russian Kozyntsi, for example. Well, the war showed who’s who, — stated Oleksii Pasiuha.

An hour after the morning calls, Oleksiy hurried to his office with a single goal: to evacuate and hide equipment to protect it. He acted cautiously and initially used security cameras at the customs post to confirm no enemy tanks were at the border. Without delay, he began moving printers and computers until 8:30 in the morning. Then, unbelievably, columns of occupiers crossed the Ukrainian border, filling the six-kilometer road with armored vehicles, trucks, cannons, and tractors.

— They marched calmly, without hiding. Sat on top of their armor, confident they’d be greeted with flowers and bread and salt. But that didn’t happen. They were met in the central square of Velyka Pysarivka with Ukrainian flags. Strangely, they didn’t touch anyone. Maybe there was an order not to harm, to come ‘as brothers,’ and continue to conquer Ukraine ‘peacefully.’ It didn’t work out that way. By evening, in neighboring Okhtyrka, about 40 kilometers from us, they faced resistance. Our fellow townspeople from Velyka Pysarivka, who joined the territorial defense, were also fighting there. And at night, on the video camera, which miraculously continued working a week after the Russian invasion, we saw new equipment arriving here, and at night, they were taking away damaged and even completely destroyed vehicles,— recalled the chief editor of the “Vorskla” newspaper in Velyka Pysarivka.

Velyka Pysarivka and its small neighboring villages found themselves in a grey zone, isolated, with no communication with Ukraine. There was no official contact from Ukrainian authorities, and Ukrainian news was absent. Meanwhile, neighboring villages broadcasted constant enemy propaganda, falsely claiming Kyiv had fallen. Oleksii recognized the danger of misinformation and led the “Vorskla” newspaper team to produce 300 combat leaflets with the message “With Ukraine in our hearts.” A lack of ink prevented them from printing more.

— Our heartfelt thanks to our local mayor, Lyudmyla Biryukova, who didn’t hesitate to support this initiative even when there was an attempt by collaborators to take over the government. During this time, local residents came to the editorial office seeking guidance on what to do when there was no police or Ukrainian military. In my 26 years of working for the newspaper, I realized that my decision to come here wasn’t in vain and that the local newspaper carries such weight. People, left without protection, turned to us and the municipal council, — the journalist recounted.

Volunteers, village elders, and compassionate individuals helped produce the leaflets. Oleksii Pasiuha emphasized that they worked harmoniously despite the significant danger. Throughout this period, he proudly noted that neither the newspaper’s office nor the town hall removed the Ukrainian flags despite the immense risk.

— Of course, it was frightening. There were shelling incidents, especially in the first three weeks. Entire streets were damaged, and the editorial office suffered as well – the roof was torn off, windows were shattered, and the heating system froze. But I couldn’t go anywhere – my subscribers, my fellow townspeople, people who believed in me, and the newspaper were here. Later, one of the subscribers wrote to the newspaper: when she found a leaflet in her mailbox, she realized that ‘the local paper’ was still in print, the government was functioning, and Ukraine would prevail. It was heartwarming, almost to tears,— he concluded.

Offered a job at a ‘future Russian newspaper'”

But what truly frightened Oleksii wasn’t the shelling. On the third day of the war, a local resident visited him at the editorial office and began speaking calmly, even friendly.

— He talked about a job, saying they were offering collaboration at a 

— If you don’t agree – you have children in Kharkiv, which we’ll soon take. Your father is old. But you will still wfuture Russian newspaper – with staff, funding, and promises of support for the publication… It would be in color, and there would be a salary, — the journalist recalls.

Oleksii couldn’t be tempted by money. He had dedicated years to journalism, his newspaper, his community, and his subscribers. Betraying it all was out of the question. Then the enemy, who had initially been polite, turned threatening.ork with us when we communicate with you through different methods. He said that if he didn’t cooperate, there would be people who would send me where necessary, or even worse, — added Oleksii Pasiuha.

During those moments, Oleksii thanked God that his wife had left four days before the war with their daughter. Yet, he worried about his elderly father, who stayed in town as the threatening phone calls persisted.

— When phone communication was restored, they were calling from Russian numbers – with offers and threats. Even when our soldiers had already entered here, threats regarding the patriotic stance of our newspaper continued to pour in — Mr. Pasiuha shared his memories.

“Better under fire than under occupation.”

Oleksii Pasiuha recounts the liberation of Velyka Pysarivka with a smile. He recalls how he and a friend were in the editorial office when they spotted an APC (Armored Personnel Carrier). They jumped into a car and chased after it, with the intention to… set it on fire.

— We thought that, being locals, we’d find a spot to throw Molotov cocktails and escape. But when we caught up with the APC, we saw that it was our own Ukrainian soldiers who had arrived! We hugged, shook hands, and felt an incredible sense of relief that we didn’t have to use incendiary devices,— the editor emotionally recalls.

Over time, Ukrainian soldiers constructed fortifications, and law enforcement officers returned to the community. Things became calmer despite almost daily shelling.

— The worst thing is to be under occupation. It’s better under fire than under occupation, — Oleksii firmly believes.

Priority One: Preserving the Newspaper

During the military operations, Oleksii defended the information space. Early editions of the full-sized newspaper were distributed by local leaders and volunteers instead of Ukrposhta (Ukrainian postal service). Two months into the war, people began receiving the newspaper. With just two staff members, it was challenging to produce the publication. Thanks to a state program for displaced persons, they hired two media professionals, who were recruited through social media by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). Oksana Kovalova, who gathers information even at the “zero point” with border guards and soldiers, joined the team. They ensured her safety and received protective gear (bulletproof vest and helmet) from the Chernivtsi Center for Journalists’ Solidarity. Oksana, a displaced person from Donbas, now works in the editorial office.

Unfortunately, the state program and salary support from the employment center only lasted for two months. For the past four months, we’ve been figuring out how to pay our staff from our own budget. I’m grateful to the NUJU for their support and funding opportunities, which allow us to retain our employees, as we cannot let them go at this time — comments Oleksii Pasiuha.

Among Oleksii’s priorities is preserving the newspaper because there are very few subscribers left due to the war.

— We would like people to return to subscribe to our publication to ensure the newspaper’s survival. It’s over 92 years old – one of the oldest publications in the region. Although we are independent, I believe that the government could somehow assist local border publications like ours to survive because they are the first and last line of defense against enemy propaganda, — says the journalist.

Journalists are volunteers of consciousness, Oleksii says, and with the support of the state, they will fight even more vigorously on the information front.

 — Our task is to convey to the people the belief that victory is inevitable, that Ukraine is above all, and that the enemy will be defeated. This is our top priority now. After victory, there will be other tasks,— concludes Oleksii Pasiuha, the editor-in-chief of the “Vorskla” newspaper in Velyka Pysarivka.

This series, titled Executed Free Speech, is created as part of a project Drawing Ukrainian And International Audience’s Attention To Serious Violations Of Human Rights And Crimes Against Journalists And Mass Media By The Russian Federation,  which is performed by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, with support from the Swedish non-profit organization Civil Rights Defenders.

JOURNALISTS ARE IMPORTANT. Stories of Life and Work in Conditions of War is a cycle of materials prepared by the team of the NUJU with the support of the Swedish human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.

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