THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
Andriy Kovalenko, the executive director of the Academy of Ukrainian Press (AUP), has been a local producer for foreign media professionals since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The 38-year-old journalist has been instrumental in helping international reporters create articles and TV stories about the war in Ukraine. Andriy’s time on the front lines, in bombed-out cities and villages, and in conversations with war victims totals months. His work with film crews has often brought him face-to-face with life-threatening situations. The most dangerous occurred in Kharkiv when a Russian Iskander missile struck a hotel where journalists were staying. In a recent interview with the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, Kovalenko shared insights about his “adrenaline-fueled” experience as a local producer, discussing fatigue, fear, and the professional duty that overshadows it all.
At the time of the invasion, Kovalenko had already been working with foreign journalists for five years. These collaborations included press tours to Ukrainian-controlled territories in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and visits to Ukrainian military positions. As part of a large AUP project, over 130 foreign journalists visited Ukraine. Typically, these press groups consisted of 4–5 people. But in October 2021, things began to change.
“The U.S. Embassy approached me with a proposal to resume the project after a brief break due to COVID-19,” Kovalenko recalls. “The condition was that each group should include at least 10, if not 15 journalists. They also wanted as many press tours as possible. I realized something unusual was happening. The U.S. Embassy clearly wanted to elevate Ukraine in the international news cycle. This is when I first suspected the possibility of a full-scale invasion.”
Between November 2021 and February 16, 2022, Andriy facilitated tours for 42 journalists. The final press tour occurred on February 16 in Zolote, Luhansk region, where reporters interviewed Ukrainian soldiers. “Of course, they asked the soldiers if they believed a full-scale war was imminent. The soldiers all said, unequivocally, yes—they were preparing for it,” Andriy recounts.
On February 17, Andriy met a military correspondent from Radio France in Kyiv. Over coffee, the French journalist predicted a potential invasion of Donetsk and Luhansk but thought it would take 2–3 months, citing Russia’s lack of logistical readiness. The French journalist was wrong. On February 24, Andriy woke up to explosions, like thousands of Ukrainians. His phone was flooded with messages from foreign colleagues: “What’s happening?!” That day, Andriy gave over 20 telephone interviews to international media while also ensuring his family’s safety. He evacuated his wife and two sons to relatives in Zhytomyr and later to Kraków, Poland, where they stayed for three months, thanks to a Polish colleague’s help. By March 1, Andriy had resumed working with foreign journalists covering the war in the Kyiv region. He collaborated with Portuguese outlets like LUSA and RTP, among others. At first, the work was in his home city, but later, he ventured into increasingly dangerous zones.
At the start of the war, Ukrainian journalists lacked protective gear, unlike their foreign counterparts. Andriy recalls the President of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NSJU), Sergiy Tomilenko, calling him after seeing a Facebook post. “ Where’s your bulletproof vest, Andriy?’ Sergiy asked. I told him I didn’t have one. Shortly after, the NUJU found a way to provide me with a vest and helmet. I’m endlessly grateful to them,” Andriy shares.
From Kharkiv to Bucha, Andriy witnessed horrific scenes. He recalls a harrowing experience near Kupyansk, where his group came under fire, and another one in Mykolaiv, where cluster munitions began detonating near their location. One of his most significant assignments came in November 2023 near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. Accompanying German journalist Florian Hassel from Süddeutsche Zeitung, Andriy walked 8 kilometers through minefields at night to reach Ukrainian positions. The resulting article created a stir in Germany, even reaching Bundestag members, emphasizing Ukraine’s desperate need for military aid. Despite physical recovery from injuries sustained in a missile strike in October 2023, the psychological toll lingers. Andriy reflects:
“The job of a local producer is exhausting. After returning from the front lines, it takes a week to mentally reconnect with home. Then, the depression sets in—it feels like you’re not doing enough, that Ukraine is being forgotten.”
Andriy’s mission remains clear: to ensure the world’s attention stays on Ukraine. He continues to travel with foreign journalists, though less frequently now, balancing his professional dedication with a desire to spend more time with his family. “Through stories of war victims, we remind the world of Ukraine’s plight. This is my duty as a journalist—and as a Ukrainian.”
Created as part of the project “Raising awareness among target groups in Ukraine and abroad about Russian war crimes against journalists in 2024 and increasing public pressure for the release of captured journalists”, which is implemented by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine with support of the Swedish non-profit human rights organization Civil Rights Defenders.
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