I want the world to hear the stories of its citizens — those who have left, those who are fighting, those who are rebuilding, and those still trapped in occupation. While our powers may be limited, it is within our reach to ensure that our land is never forgotten.
I continue to work because I witnessed Crimea vanishing from the information map, and I refuse to let the same happen to the Luhansk region.
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Despite the challenges, my commitment to upholding standards has never wavered. I’ve learned to separate emotions and pain from my work. After all, I am also a victim of this conflict. I have to take care of my mental health, as I live through each hero's experience. Journalism in Ukraine constantly adapts to new challenges: working in hazardous conditions, with limited resources, and under constant threat. It's crucial to maintain accuracy and integrity, especially in the face of disinformation.
Currently, there is no access to Sievierodonetsk (Luhansk region), and no mobile or internet connection. Every piece of information from the occupied and isolated city is invaluable. Speaking with soldiers from Luhansk is particularly challenging, as many have been fighting for their land on different frontlines since 2014, yet cannot return to their homes. The hardest stories are those about families of the fallen or children who have turned gray at a young age due to the war. But despite the emotional difficulty, some stories bring hope.
I interviewed our border guard who was hit by shelling. A bullet pierced an artery, and he had to crawl to his trench, losing consciousness while Russians threw grenades at him. One exploded near his head, and the shrapnel damaged not only his face but also his lungs and abdomen. He lost a lot of blood, was in a coma for three days with an ischemic stroke, and permanently lost his peripheral vision. But during the interview, he jokingly said, "I always said I was lucky, that nothing would happen. My comrades disagreed, but I’m still here — I survived, all good." His optimism and kindness outweighed everything.
For me, the war began in 2014 in Luhansk. It was challenging to work in accordance with standard journalistic practices as the aggressor — Russia — obstructed any possibility for dialogue, though we were not accustomed to covering only one side of the story. As a result, my colleagues and I found ourselves in dangerous situations, trying to gather information in a city struggling under the outbreak of the war. We had no training for working in such conditions. One day, we were journalists in a peaceful city, and the next, we were thrust into war journalism — without proper knowledge, safety measures, law enforcement, or support from Ukrainian authorities. For some journalists, this came at the cost of experience, for others, freedom, and for some, even their lives.
I chose journalism as a profession over 10 years ago, to tell the truth, hold officials accountable, and improve the quality of journalism in Luhansk. I was driven by the influence our work had on the city's life.
Our city, during reconstruction (2004-2014), had an Austrian conductor at the philharmonic, new sports facilities, and a Pele museum being created. We believed it would flourish.
Today, Luhansk has been under Russian occupation for over 10 years.
Editor-in-Chief of SD.UA.
The journalist Yana Chumachenko is experienced in reporting from the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (2014-2022). She had to relocate herself and the media she leads — SD.ua, Severodonetsk regional media — due to the occupation.
Yana
Chumachenko