I believe that truth will prevail — and that belief gives me the strength to continue.
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Kateryna Handziuk was a Ukrainian journalist, anti-corruption activist, and political advisor from Kherson. Renowned for her efforts in exposing local corruption, she was attacked with sulfuric acid in July 2018 and succumbed to her injuries in November 2018. Her death became a symbol of the dangers faced by activists and journalists in Ukraine, highlighting the urgent need for justice and protection for journalists.
The most difficult publication I worked on was a short investigation onto one of Kherson’s torture chambers made by Russians. It was challenging because people who have been kept there are my friends. They also helped identify the perpetrators.
The biggest challenge now is that it takes us longer to find resources than to do actual journalism, as we are facing a severe staffing crisis. However, multitasking has helped me adapt: I learned to shoot videos, work on camera, and host live streams — often all at once.
Editor of the Kherson-based online media outlet MOST.
With 14 years of experience in journalism, Nikitenko reports about the current situation in his city and region. He has experience working on the frontline and recently liberated territories.
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Before the full-scale war, I primarily wrote about politics, public finances, abuses of power, and corruption. I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t imagine I would soon almost stop writing about it and start documenting the war — covering the occupation, the fights, and their consequences. In the first six months after the full-scale invasion, we focused almost exclusively on the occupation because over 90 % of Kherson region was under Russian control. We had to learn how to document Russian crimes on the go. As the Ukrainian Armed Forces began liberating Kherson region, we shifted to reporting about de-occupied communities. Today, we have returned to political and financial topics, and corruption, but we still write extensively about the war — these issues are inseparable.
I came into journalism by accident, after working for five years as a schoolteacher and then at a university. Although I had a PhD degree, at some point I realised that I no longer wanted to pursue an academic career and decided to try journalism. I had a small blog about Kherson, so it was relatively easy for me to start working in a local newsroom. Very quickly, I realised that I didn’t want to work in a media outlet dependent on politicians, so, together with Kateryna Handziuk, we founded our own media, most.ks.ua. We chose the slogan: "Truth is our ethics." It still remains essential to us.
Currently, Oleksandrivka is almost destroyed, and Heroiske is occupied. The Lyman is split between Ukrainian and Russian troops. I am writing about the war so that one day, I can return to these liberated territories and finally shoot these films.
Serhiy
Nikitenko