“It is important to personally support brave colleagues” – NUJU team visits Kharkiv and Donetsk Regions

The President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), Sergiy Tomilenko, personally visited the front-line Kharkiv and Donetsk Regions to support the front-line media of eastern Ukraine to express solidarity with journalists who risk their lives but still perform their professional duties in the de-occupied territories and at the front, to thank the heroes-defenders and provide them with volunteer assistance.

The NUJU team, led by the President, visited the NUJU Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC) in Kharkiv, the newsrooms of front-line local publications, Obrii Iziumshchyny, Sloviyansk-based 6262 and Kramatorsk-based Technopolis, visited the front-line positions of the 24^th King Danylo Separate Mechanized Brigade in the settlement of Niu-York in the Donetsk Region. Sergiy Tomilenko held a meeting with Oleksii Vysotskyi, the editor of Army TV streams. They discussed the strengthening of interaction between civilian journalists of the NUJU and the military television media.

“The Kharkiv Region and Donbas are invincible. It is very important for me to personally support brave colleagues who take risks but still perform their professional duties,” says Sergiy Tomilenko. “This is the key purpose of the trip to the east, to the regions on which the russians are daily intensifying their pressure and where they are multiplying human misery every day.”

With great admiration, the NUJU President spoke about the team of the Kharkiv JSC of the NUJU, which was opened at the end of last year.

“The coordinator of the JSC, Hanna Chernenko, is a great person, she herself is a war correspondent, understands and unites the military in Kharkiv,” said Sergiy Tomilenko. “Hanna signed Ukrainian flags for our international partners who help Ukrainian journalists in difficult wartime. I gladly handed over a unique War Correspondent chevron for Hanna (and for her colleague – the brilliant military cameraman Volodymyr Pavlov). Such chevrons, as a symbolic distinction, were presented to the NUJU a year ago by Ukrainian designers who produce symbols for the Defense Forces.”

“A rare moment – I have happy photos on my phone! I am sincerely glad to meet with Sergiy Tomilenko and the team of the Union of Journalists,” Hanna wrote on Facebook.

In de-occupied Izium, Kharkiv Region, visited by the NUJU President for the third time in the last year, the NUJU team visited the newsroom of the Obrii Iziumshchyny newspaper and met with the team, each member of which is a unique person.

In particular, journalist Mykola Kaliuzhnyi survived the occupation of his hometown and, despite his age, continues to create highly professional journalistic materials.

“The situation in the Kharkiv Region is now alarming. People, of course, are worried; they feel anxious, and this is understandable because the front is not far away… We have immigrants from border settlements; it is especially difficult for them. But, at the same time, people believe in the stability of the defense and resistance to the occupiers,” says Mykola Kaliuzhnyi.

Izium is being rebuilt, despite the fact that ruins from brutal russian attacks remain all over the city. The newspaper Obrii Iziumshchyny is also being recovered. Thanks to the energy and efficiency of the editor-in-chief, Kostiantyn Hryhorenko, and the understanding of the military leadership of Izium, the newsroom now has new premises. After all, due to the shelling of the occupiers, their own two-story editorial building was destroyed, and the team became “homeless.”

Three employees work in two editorial premises. In the editor-in-chief’s office, a private studio is being set up for broadcasts on social networks. Obrii Iziumshchyny takes orders for the production of souvenir products – pens, cups, and magnets with the symbol of the heroic Izium.

Journalists also chronicle the occupation and reconstruction of their city and are chroniclers of the modern history of Ukraine. Recently, the Folio publishing house published Kostiantyn Hryhorenko‘s book called Izium. Chronology of Occupation and Liberation.

Employees of Obrii Iziumshchyny say that they are grateful to the NUJU for the provided electric generator, which became a real “saving stick” for them during frequent power outages. “Just two weeks ago, there was a power outage under the schedule that lasted for 3-4 hours a day, and emergency shutdowns could last a whole day,” the journalists said.

“Colleagues, you are incredible!” emphasized Sergiy Tomilenko in a conversation with Obrii Iziumshchyny journalists. “You are worthily continuing the traditions of Ihor Lubchenko, the long-time chairman of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, who began his journalistic career precisely in the Obrii Iziumshchyny newspaper!”

Therefore, Sergiy Tomilenko, like a year ago, visited Niu-York. But not in the American one, where he spoke last May at the site of the UN General Assembly and UNESCO, but in the Ukrainian one in the Donetsk Region, four km from the contact line.

“Thank you to the heroes of the 24^th Separate Mechanized Brigade who bravely defend Ukraine. We have brought a variety of volunteer help from the NUJU, and we are also working on our own new video about the importance of the work of press groups on the front lines,” Sergiy Tomilenko said. “In May 2023, in the American New York, I constantly spoke about russia’s war crimes. Today, I illustrate them with photos from a trip to the village – the namesake of the American metropolis.”

In addition to Niu-York, the Union team also visited other forward positions of the Ukrainian troops near Toretsk, where they recorded the work of the military for the upcoming film and handed them the voluntary help of the Union members.

Sergiy Tomilenko thanked the battery commander Maksym with the call sign Agron for helping the media in their work. He was also impressed by the professionalism, devotion to his native brigade, and patriotism of press group employee Andrii Polukhin.

During the visit to Sloviyansk, the NUJU team visited the newsroom of the 6262 publication.

“A special impression was left by a meeting with the famous media trainer Valerii Harmash, a great supporter of media management education in Ukraine,” said Sergiy Tomilenko. “I would also like to express a huge thank you to the chaplain of the 10^th Army Corps, Yurii Sydorenko, who helped us on the trip from Sloviyansk to Kramatorsk. In a conversation with us, he emphasized the importance of the work of journalists. He talked about the great miracles that happen at the front.”

In Kramatorsk, the NUJU team first visited the newsroom of the Technopolis publication, which resumed its work after a long break thanks to the support of the Union of Journalists. The NUJU supports the revival of front-line media; Technopolis is one of 32 such newsrooms that managed to help, thanks to the support of international partners.

“Those withered flowers in the foreground of our photo are unique – they have just been seen by humans for the first time since the full-scale invasion began. Since February 22, the newsroom of the leading Kramatorsk media, the Technopolis newspaper, has been closed. The front iron door was jammed. Colleagues suspect that due to a hit in the neighborhood…,” says Sergiy Tomilenko.

He thanked Oleh Kubar, the editor-in-chief of Technopolis, for opening the editorial office on the day of the NUJU team’s visit. The President of the Union was able to meet with the employees, designer Tetiana, and former director Oleksandr.

Now, the newspaper is published in a small format, volume, and circulation. But the main thing is that it turns out. The designer Tetiana is sincerely happy about the advertisements and announcements that the people of Kramatorsk in the newspaper: “Can you imagine, Happy Birthday congratulations have been ordered for publishing in the nearest issue!”

“Grateful to colleagues for signing the flag for our European friends. Ukrainian media is stable during the full-scale war primarily thanks to international solidarity,” says Tomilenko. “Good luck to Technopolis, a publication with more than 30 years of history! The abundance of flowers and greenery in your office in peaceful Ukraine!”

Not only does the NUJU help civilian journalists, but also colleagues in uniform.

During his visit to Kramatorsk, Sergiy Tomilenko handed a laptop over to the stream editor of the TV channel Army TV – Military Television of Ukraine. The equipment was provided by the NUJU in partnership with the Academy of the Ukrainian Press.

“I had a wonderful and long conversation with Oleksii Vysotskyi, the editor-in-chief of live broadcasts of the Army TV channel. Before the invasion, Oleksii from Kherson worked as an editor at Vikna-Novyny of the STB TV channel. Now, Oleksii coordinates the teamwork of military media – the release of important stories and programs aimed at the professional military community. At the same time, Army TV wants to make the army more understandable for civilians as well, so that they better feel the importance of army affairs and support the military in every possible way,” Sergiy Tomilenko notes. “We are proud of our courageous colleagues who have been battle-hardened at the fronts and are now gathered in the military newsroom and are creating the necessary modern media. Great luck! Good shots, grateful viewers! Understanding and support of commanders!”

NUJU Information Service