Dnipro fixer Ihor Pylypenko has been working with the film crew of the Swedish public broadcaster SVT ( https://www.svt.se/), which covers the war in Ukraine, for two years. Protective equipment for trips is taken from the Dnipro Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC) of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU).
“We mainly travel to the Zaporizhzhia Axis. We also worked in the Donetsk Region, the Kharkiv Region, Kherson, Odesa, Sumy – with Swedish journalists, we were already on almost the entire front line,” says Ihor Pylypenko. “They recently returned from Lyptsi, Kharkiv Region. I go all the time, actually every month. So, it is very convenient that I can take protective equipment for trips at the Dnipro JSC. Because before, every time I had to look for something – either with friends or where I was going.”
He has considerable experience of traveling to hot spots as a fixer-driver – since 2014. However, he admits, there are still situations that “tickle the nerves:”
“Once, a plane launched a missile directly above us. It was so powerful that I did not immediately understand what happened – it seemed as if the ground was falling. And we surely try not to go where it is totally dangerous,” says the fixer.
REFERENCE INFORMATION: The Dnipro JSC of the NUJU provides high-quality protective equipment, in particular, bulletproof vests, helmets branded with the inscription PRESS, as well as tactical first aid kits. The rental is free, but it is necessary to have the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) accreditation.
Call the Dnipro JSC at 050 919 8479 (Nataliya Nazarova, the Dnipro JSC coordinator). The Center’s address is 8 Starokozatska Street.
ABOUT JSC
The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is designated to help media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological, and other types of assistance.
ABOUT UNESCO
UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.
Dnipro JSC information service
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