THE NATIONAL UNION OF
JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE
“It is very difficult to look for an exclusive in the war now. The only possible exclusive today is to show heroes, people, their destinies. And for this you have to come close.”
So says Ivan Petrychak, the head of the press service of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo, a mobilized TV journalist for TSN, in support of whose team the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) is announcing a fundraiser.
On the eve of Journalist’s Day, Ivan told the NUJU information service about the stories that military media workers tell, the difficulties they face, and the resilience that has become a necessary sign of their profession.
“The goal of the film is to show the soldiers and unite society around them”
Last year, in August, the premiere of the documentary Fireproof. The Year of the Defense of Chasiv Yar took place in the capital’s Zhovten Cinema. The film, authored by the communications service of the 24th Brigade, showed tank battles, drone footage, the work of soldiers, sergeants, and commanders, and the price at which Ukrainian defense is held.
“For us, this is not a film, but an attempt to reflect reality. Documenting reality in the way we could do it at the time,” says Ivan Petrychak. “Now we would do everything differently, because now there are more opportunities. New specialists have joined the team, professional equipment has appeared.”
For almost a year, the film was shown by national and regional TV channels, it was posted on the MEGOGO platform. On the Brigade YouTube channel Fireproof it collected over 300,000 views – a serious result for the Ukrainian segment, especially for military material with a running time of over an hour.
“The depth of viewing is great, people watched to the end and commented. The vast majority were not about the film itself,” explains Ivan. “These were reviews of the work of our army, our infantrymen. People thanked the soldiers for the defense, for the price they pay. And these reviews, in fact, are the most valuable. Because the primary goal of the project is to show the soldiers and unite society around them. And, judging by the reviews, the press service succeeded.”
Photo exhibition Fireproof. On February 23 of this year, the press service of the 24th Brigade left for Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, to open a European exhibition of photographs by press officer Oleh Petrasiuk, which was previously shown in Kyiv and Lviv. The press service team returned to Ukraine, and the exhibition traveled further across Europe. Ukrainian diasporas are helping with the organization. It has already been seen in Lithuania and Sweden, then in Germany, Poland and, probably, the United Kingdom.
On April 15, 2026, at the first ceremony of the Ruslan Hanushchak Documentary Award, the main award was awarded to the documentary report of the communications department Mad House. Kostiantynivka. The film is about the frontline reality of a city that lives under constant shelling.
The author of this material is Kostiantyn Melnykov, a former ICTV war journalist, and now the press officer of the communications department of the 24th Brigade.
According to Ivan Petrychak, a high distinction for the work of the press service is, first of all, motivation to move on.
“When you get into the army from civilian life, you go through certain stages of transformation,” he says. “It’s hard for people, people get tired, because, unlike civilian work, we work here around the clock. We leave at night, we edit during the day, without days off. Life is actually at work. But such achievements, recognition of their work – motivates the team to work better.”
Special stories. Kaban and infantryman Serhii.
Today, the communications department focuses on documenting the stories of the Brigade’s fighters and their transformation over a specific period of time. Two of these stories are already in the works.
The first is about a machine gunner with the call sign Kaban. The team has been recording the story of this soldier for two years in a row.
“The first frames show a 20-year-old guy storming an enemy position with his comrades. The helmet camera filmed the entire battle,” says Ivan Petrychak. “Kaban himself then distinguished himself with a special way of shooting from a heavy machine gun. He held it in his hands and, standing, conducted aimed fire at the door of the enemy dugout – as if his weapon weighed not 15 kilograms, but 3, like a regular machine gun. Then one enemy was taken prisoner, the others were destroyed… Over the next two years, the Kaban group disintegrated, someone was killed, someone, having been wounded, was discharged or transferred. The guy himself suffered a traumatic amputation of his leg, which is why, after a complex rehabilitation, he walks on a prosthesis. He can no longer be a stormtrooper, but he has not lost his motivation. Now he controls FPV drone crews.”
Kaban is originally from Donbas. He came to the front at the age of 19 to protect his home, where his mother and grandmother remained, from occupation. Unfortunately, the home was still under occupation, and his relatives left. But he continues to serve in the Brigade and motivates others.
“Despite everything, he continues to bring the cause he believes in to the end… And we document it to tell others about it,” says Petrychak.
The second story is infantryman Serhii Krynytskyi. The team released this material recently, and he immediately became famous.
“We recorded an interview with Serhii immediately after he left the position in Chasiv Yar, which he held for a year! His comrades were killed there, he was left alone, held the defense and took a significant number of the enemy prisoner. These first emotions of his are recorded in the material,” says Petrychak. “Now Serhii has received the highest honorary title – Hero of Ukraine.”
Now the story about the soldier of the 24th Brigade is being filmed by Reuters, a number of Ukrainian TV channels and print publications.
“Kostiantyn Melnykov is carrying a large number of film crews, which are already lined up to talk to Serhii. This is also an indicator of our work: the world has learned about this person,” adds Ivan.
According to him, one of the main tasks that they set for themselves is to show how Ukrainians differ from russians.
“The russians sign a contract for money, and when they come here, they quickly regret it and lose motivation. Our people see this, and most importantly, they understand that they can be destroyed, that they should not be afraid,” says Ivan Petrychak.
According to him, filming the war is becoming more and more difficult, because the zone of destruction by enemy drones has increased to tens of kilometers.
“Getting to the front line is the most difficult thing. But we continue to do it,” says the head of the press service.
Filming is planned, in particular, considering the weather: rain means less activity of enemy drones – therefore, you can drive.
“We are aimed at strengthening the status of military production and are opening up new areas for ourselves – offline events, production of a film product,” summarizes Petrychak.
“This is not just support – it is participation in documentation”
The NUJU calls the press service of the 24th Brigade “its sponsored one”. During the cooperation, we managed to hold journalistic meetings on two official cars, overhaul one of them, and also transfer four GoPro Hero 11 cameras to the team.
“Both materially and morally, such support has a very positive effect,” says Ivan. “We constantly want to develop; we are looking for opportunities. And the fact that the NUJU helps us is significant.”
The cameras provided by the NUJU work and bring results – unique footage of the work of infantry and tank units, which the 24th Motorized Rifle Brigade publishes on its resources.
“I would say that the Chasiv Yar campaign is one of the best documented campaigns of this war. We record the work of infantry on GoPro, unique cases with tank units,” says Petrychak. “This is an exclusive – which is difficult to shoot without being a serviceman of the Brigade. – We publish these videos on Brigade social networks, and then they are disassembled into quotes and distributed by publications around the world. There are cases when some YouTube bloggers and Telegram channels simply “steal” our materials – re-uploading them as their own, cutting off the Brigade logo. The Indians translate and voice over, the Americans – upload them to their accounts. We are offended, of course, that our copyright is violated, but this does not interfere with the main goal. Because even such distributions gain millions of views and more and more people around the world learn about our army and the resilience of Ukrainians in one way or another. Therefore, helping to increase the number of GoPros from NUJU is not just support – it is participation in documentation. And we are grateful.”
Separately, the head of the press service emphasizes the importance of purchasing vehicles.
“Vehicles break down, but they are needed. Despite difficult conditions, the unit continues to grow and develop new areas of work. People no longer work in one group, but in several at the same time: combat trips to the front line to shoot materials on the Brigade’s social network, escorting civilian journalists, recording interviews in the rear and traveling throughout Ukraine to work with veterans. And also trips abroad – to present the Brigade’s photo exhibitions and participate in conferences. Being mobile in such conditions is necessary for us.”
Addressing fellow journalists on the eve of the professional holiday, which is celebrated on June 6, Ivan Petrychak urges not to lose faith in their work.
“This is the most important thing!” emphasizes the press officer. “Sometimes it seems that what you do is of little importance. For example, going to a place where the enemy is striking with heavy weapons. First of all, you weigh: is this shooting worth such a risk? But when the work is done, time passes, you review the material with a fresh look and understand: wow, now you will not be able to return there again. This is already history. And it was recorded in time in video and photos and preserved for generations. You see that the heroes of your films – some of whom are no longer in this world – are captured in the frame. The heroes of your materials, who continue to serve, watch and are proud of them. Recently, I saw how the hero of our film from two years ago put a screenshot from the tape on his avatar – right with the credits. Not the best photo, but it is clear that the person watches it again and shows it. Our videos are seen by relatives, soldiers, and newly arrived fighters. And also – the enemy sees it! We have a case when a russian surrendered after watching one of our interviews.”
It is important to understand that the work of journalists today is not just creativity for the sake of creativity. It must be practical and work according to the demands of the time – like a weapon! Therefore, I would like every journalist to understand this, not lose faith in their work and continue to carry out this mission. Because it is important!
Journalist Fundraising – for a New Car for Petrychak’s Team
On the occasion of Journalist’s Day, the NUJU announced another journalist fundraising – this time for a new official car for the press service of the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade named after King Danylo.
The two cars that the NUJU handed over to the team earlier have been honestly used in Chasiv Yar, Kostiantynivka, and have made dozens of trips to the front line, from which Fireproof, “Madhouse. Kostiantynivka”, a material about the Hero of Ukraine infantryman Serhii and many other materials were born. The unit has grown, the areas of work have increased, and more cars are needed.
Everyone can join the fundraising!
Monobank Bank:
https://send.monobank.ua/jar/9EE2aFVyGe
Card number:
4874 1000 3776 3136
Transfer details:
Recipient: Mahuriak Ivan Ivanovych
IBAN: UA363220010000026203380390458
TIN: 3733511351
The goal is: Replenishment of bank account
The bank was opened at the request of the NUJU by our colleague – a journalist from Channel 24, a member of the NUJU and a well-known volunteer Ivan Mahuriak, who has been systematically assisting military and journalistic initiatives since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Let’s help the team of the 24th Motorized Rifle Brigade to hold this weapon firmly every day.
Support for the press service of the 24th Brigade is part of the broader work of the NUJU to assist the Defense Forces. The Union conducts this activity in two dimensions – material and informational.
Since the first months of the full-scale invasion, the NUJU has systematically organized journalistic gatherings for the needs of military media workers and frontline newsrooms: official cars, equipment repairs, cameras, protective equipment. A separate direction is the safety of journalists themselves in the zone of action of enemy drones: recently, with the participation of parliamentarians, it was possible to raise funds for a drone detector for media workers, and frontline newsrooms receive support within the framework of the Frontline Press program.
At the same time, the NUJU encourages the media to talk about the army and about journalists themselves. As part of the “Journalists Matter!” initiative, the NUJU calls on newsrooms to prepare publications about the value of journalistic work, the risks and challenges of the profession during war. A logical continuation of this movement was the initiative in support of colleagues in uniform “Press officers are important!”, which unites efforts to support colleagues who organize information about heroes and military actions and accompany civilian journalists to frontline positions.
As part of the project, the NUJU introduced a special award of the same name, which honors the most authoritative press officers of the Defense Forces. Among those honored are military journalists Volodymyr Fitio, Serhii Skibchyk, Roman Chop, Illia Yevlash, Serhii Cherevatyi, Yevhen Alkhimov, Andrii Polukhin, Kateryna Petrenko, Nadiya Zamryha, Ruben Sarukhanyan, Ivan Petrychak, and Iryna Rybakova.
Maksym Stepanov
NUJU Information Service
For Ukrinform
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