- 
French
 - 
fr
German
 - 
de
Italian
 - 
it
Spanish
 - 
es
English
 - 
en
UKR
National Union of Journalist of Ukraine

THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE

No Result
View All Result
DONATE
  • Home
  • News
  • Stories
  • Affected Media
  • Our Partners
  • About NUJU
  • Contacts
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Stories
  • Affected Media
  • Our Partners
  • About NUJU
  • Contacts
DONATE
THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Stories
  • Our Partners
  • DONATE
Home Stories

Journalist Oleh Mashchenko: “If the Russians go to Kyiv, they’ll get firing points from every window.”

NUJU By NUJU
21.08.2023
in Stories
0
0
22254683 10212785435543733 4320975155216948679 o 1024x768 1
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSent by emailScan QR

Military journalist Oleh Mashchenko has reported from several hotspots around the world but never anticipated that war would come to his native Kyiv. He refused to evacuate the capital, believing that news from Kyiv was crucial for readers.

Working around the clock.

NUJU correspondents met Oleh Mashchenko near a Kyiv stronghold of resilience. In these times, he says, working in any conditions is necessary. People need news, and wasting time is a luxury now.

During the initial days of the full-scale war, there was a particularly heavy workload. There was no time to be afraid or think about oneself.

— There was a huge need for news,— Oleh starts. — Social media platforms were still struggling, and not everyone was accustomed to Telegram channels. Traffic on our website indicated this trend: people were visiting and reading all the news.

Oleh Mashchenko is an editor at the Ukrainski Novyny news agency. He chose to stay in his native Kyiv when the Great War began, actively continuing his journalistic work.

 — My wife and I – she’s a journalist as well – decided not to leave. We created a schedule at the agency, allowing for mutual coverage. There were no blackouts then. You could stand in line for bread for four hours and then return to work. And back then, we were working around the clock,— the journalist continues.

 Working entails overcoming difficulties like power outages, lack of internet, and absence of heat, even amidst the sound of sirens and explosions.

 — We’ve had airstrikes in our district, but we’re holding on. Foreign journalists I know called and asked why I’m not leaving. I replied, ‘I’m a military person, I know how to handle weapons. And if the Russians come to Kyiv, they’ll get firing points from every window,’— Oleh Mashchenko confidently states.

 “My first exposure to shelling was far from Ukraine.”

 Transnistria and Chechnya, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Kosovo, Iraq, and the Israeli-Lebanese conflict – Oleh has been to many hotspots alongside the Ukrainian peacekeeping mission. For this, he was awarded the title “Honored Journalist of Ukraine.” Professionally, Oleh Mashchenko is a commissioned officer, having graduated from the Lviv Higher Military-Political School’s journalism department.

 — My first exposure to shelling was far from Ukraine. It was in Iraq: I had four deployments there with our peacekeepers. I knew what airstrikes were from those years. I didn’t want to believe that Russia would wage war on Ukraine, but I foresaw that it could happen,— our interlocutor notes.

 The first armed conflict Oleh had to cover was the Transnistrian conflict. He witnessed explosions, refugees, and Ukrainian soldiers. However, his strongest impression was observing the aftermath of the Russian forces’ assault on the Chechen capital, Grozny. Now, the journalist sees how he can compare the horrifying image he witnessed in February 1997 to the present: with destroyed buildings and streets in Kharkiv, Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin…

 “In this war, in my understanding, there is a clear name – Ukrainian Patriotic War.”

 — They invaded us, killing, raping, looting, and destroying our people. In my understanding, this war has a clear name – the Ukrainian Patriotic War, because it concerns the very existence of our state. And if a journalist personally went through all this hell, lost loved ones, then what he talks about is an objective reality,— Oleh explains his perspective.

 Oleh is not intimidated by shelling; he believes one can adapt to discomfort. 

10329789 245903448940987 7290976540116410196 o 1024x685 1 10506568 245485682316097 9221869104301722990 o 1024x893 1 10507005 245903362274329 3112849966346142732 o 1024x685 1 12745783 10207581345084724 748916310686493259 n

 — I experienced something similar after the collapse of the USSR when similar problems arose: people had to go around the district to find milk for their small children. But now, times have changed, and people are different. One of the vivid memories from the war’s early days is the work of volunteers who quickly organized and rallied. This work continues and evolves though the process has been established. At the beginning of the war, many found it strange that young men and women were delivering, unloading, distributing, and genuinely saving lives, especially those of the elderly,— Oleh recalls March 2022.

 Now, Oleh lives in the new rhythm of Ukrainian journalism. He upholds the information defense in one of the most popular news agencies. A courageous man who has been to various hotspots is confident that Ukraine will win on all fronts, provided that everyone, like him, works “24/7.”

 Journalist Oleh Mashchenko, experienced in conflict reporting, chose to stay in Kyiv despite the war. He believes the news is crucial, working tirelessly even through power cuts. Comparing the situation to past conflict zones, he sees this as a Ukrainian Patriotic War for survival. Undeterred, he draws strength from coping with challenges before and praises volunteers’ unity during the war’s start. Now a vital part of Ukraine’s journalism, he emphasizes the importance of constant dedication to the nation’s success.

 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.

 #CRD

 

 

Previous Post

Amet Suleymanov: a citizen journalist from the Gafarov-Shyrinh list

Next Post

Journalist Vita Kopenko: “I had never before considered what freedom is.”

Related Articles

photo 2025 01 03 12 13 22 7
Stories

Olena Tsyhipa, wife of Russian civilian prisoner Sergiy Tsyhipa:  “We cannot live, wake up, or breathe peacefully while our loved ones remain in captivity.”

2025/01
photo 2025 01 03 07 25 27 6
Stories

“Russians hunt people with drones”

2025/01
photo 2024 12 31 14 48 56
Stories

“The rocket hit the civilian convoy directly”

2025/01

Discussion about this post

TOP News

  • Frédéric Pétry during filming in Orekhov. Photo by 65 SMB / Andrii Andriienko

    French photojournalist Frédéric Pétry documents realities of the war in Zaporizhzhia

    44 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 11
  • List of journalists killed since start of russia’s full-scale aggression (UPDATE)

    269 shares
    Share 108 Tweet 67
  • Journalists’ Solidarity Centers

    60 shares
    Share 24 Tweet 15
viber image 2025 06 23 17 11 27 196

Border Newspaper: Velykyi Burluk Community Appreciates the Printed Word

24.06.2025
lviv shkola1

Lviv JSC joins career guidance event: future media professionals attend School of Journalism

24.06.2025
photo 2025 06 23 07 34 19 2

Journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko, released from russian captivity, meets with his family in Prague

23.06.2025
508195654 3575201215944999 7411974053683467622 n 1536x1152 1

NUJU First Secretary Lina Kushch presents Ukrainian media experience at the international Ditchley conference

19.06.2025
dnipro hrypun1 1536x1024 1

Voice of the community in times of war: Mezhivskyi Meridian newspaper is 95!

19.06.2025
photo 2025 06 17 20 00 21

Dormitory for student journalists damaged by Russian strike on Kyiv

18.06.2025

National Union of Journalist of Ukraine

National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), according to its Statute, it is a national all-Ukrainian organization a creative union uniting journalists and other media workers.

Contacts

E-mail: spilka@nsju.org

© 2023 NUJU - National Union of Journalist of Ukraine

  • Home
  • News
  • Stories
  • Affected Media
  • Our Partners
  • About NUJU
  • Contacts
No Result
View All Result

© 2023 - 2025 NUJU - National Union of Journalist of Ukraine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In