Cooperate with Alina
We must not forgive the torture and abuse and all the victims — not just the children and civilians. And especially, we must preserve the memory of the deeds of our defenders, who prevented the destruction of Ukraine in 2014, in 2022, and continue to do so today. This is our memory, our strength, and our faith and we cannot let us forget that.
The most difficult materials for me are still the interviews with those who have endured Russian tortures, such as the interview with a woman from Mariupol, who was raped for a week by Russian occupiers and threatened with the same fate for her little sister.
But I have managed to adapt. What helps me most is multitasking and strictly adhering to journalistic standards. Without these qualities, many scandalous or sensational materials could have been published — not trustworthy or safe for the person who dared to speak about such a difficult and sensitive talk.
Village of Velyka Novosilka
(Donetsk
region) after a Russian missile strike
Photo credit:
Alina Yevych
Photo credit:
Alina Yevych
When I only dreamed about journalism, I knew I wanted to do something important — I wanted to write about minority rights, help save animals, and create conditions that will enable equality. However, Russia’s invasion — already since 2014 — has revealed that animal protection is not sufficient in Ukraine — both in terms of adoption of pets and implementation of equal rights for them. To address this, journalists, animal rights activists, law enforcement, and local authorities will need to take a firm stance, often uncomfortable for many. Of course, no one is focusing on this issue right now, but I am confident that ability to take responsibility is one of the core values of a civilised European country and we must nurture it.
When I only dreamed about journalism, I knew I wanted to do something important — I wanted to write about minority rights, help save animals, and create conditions that will enable equality. However, Russia’s invasion — already since 2014 — has revealed that animal protection is not sufficient in Ukraine — both in terms of adoption of pets and implementation of equal rights for them. To address this, journalists, animal rights activists, law enforcement, and local authorities will need to take a firm stance, often uncomfortable for many. Of course, no one is focusing on this issue right now, but I am confident that ability to take responsibility is one of the core values of a civilised European country and we must nurture it.
Today, animals have to take a back seat. Therefore, reports from deoccupied cities and villages, interviews with survivors, and commemorative articles have become the key focus of my work. At the very least, we must never forget what the invaders did to our lives.
I have always believed that conducting interviews and writing reports are my strengths. I truly enjoyed covering social, poignant topics that could make a difference in society. However, after the full-scale invasion, I realised that journalism is no longer the ‘fourth estate’ in the world. It has greatly yielded to the power controlled by cruelty. So when I was making the first reports from the shattered cities, witnessing the tears of those who buried their own children, it became for me a test of resilience: either I would be able to absorb it all and keep doing this regularly, or I would break once and end my career as a war reporter.
Despite all
the challenges,
I want to make every effort
to ensure that Ukrainians
and
the world do not forget
the crimes of the Russian
occupiers.
The only
Material
I wanted to change society's attitude towards animals, combat black breeding, and address mistreatment. But now, with the onset of the full-scale war, the situation has only worsened — over
1 million cats and dogs have been abandoned or escaped due to the war,
and entire species are dying as a result of the ecological crisis. However,
while the war continues in Ukraine,
no one is focusing on this issue. This
is why I work as a war correspondent —
to help end the war and eventually
assist animals in need.
Independent reporter and photographer. Alina lives and works in two cities — Kharkiv (100 km from the frontline) and Pokrovsk (20 km from the frontline).
Yevych is an independent reporter and photographer currently working at Vchasno media (an independent media outlet in Eastern Ukraine). She often reports directly from the frontline of combat.
Alina
Yevych