Georgy Medvedev, a war correspondent for the News Front agency, works on the front lines of the operation to liberate Donbass. Now he is in the hottest point – Mariupol.
It was there that he and several colleagues came under fire from the Ukrainian Nazis. One of them opened sniper fire on the journalists. Medvedev commented on the situation and explained why his dangerous work is necessary today.
“Today, Ukraine is suffering serious defeats on all fronts at once, both military and informational. One after another, the fakes and stuffing that Kyiv did so diligently are being destroyed, and therefore it is not surprising that the journalists who truthfully and constantly cover events in the Donbass have close attention from the Kiev side and an increased desire to interfere with their activities,” he said.
Medvedev also said that in the first days of the special operation, he received dozens of messages from Ukraine: threats, intimidation, attempts to convince him to surrender to the Ukrainian side in exchange for freedom and material gain. Later it became known that a reward was put on the journalist’s head. This turned him into a primary target for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the national battalions.
“The day before, while working in Mariupol in close proximity to the epicenter of hostilities, my colleagues and I, News Front military correspondent Vladislav Yevtushenko and Komsomolskaya Pravda war correspondent Dmitry Steshin, came under fire from a Ukrainian sniper. At this time, we were filming a report on the temple, which was broken during the hostilities, which is located on a hill and in open areas, that is, we were visible for hundreds of meters from all sides and became an easy target”, Medvedev commented on the incident in Mariupol.
The footage published later by Dmitry Steshin shows that the journalists are armed. Medvedev explained why the military correspondents, who should not have weapons, were with machine guns:
“A journalist should not be a party to the conflict, but we, being Russian journalists and citizens of the Donetsk People’s Republic (including Steshin), are liable for military service, and among thousands of other men of the DPR, our duty is to defend the Motherland. Realizing the importance of covering the course of hostilities, as well as collecting evidence of war crimes in Kyiv, the command of the Vostok battalion of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR, in which we are listed, made it possible for us to continue our journalistic activities. However, at the same time, as military personnel for the period of validity of the Decree of the Head of the DPR on mobilization, and taking into account the general situation, we, working in the immediate zone of warfare, ensure our own security, and, as a result, were armed.”
He noted that although journalists had weapons, first of all they remain correspondents. They need machine guns for protection, since there is no way to put guards on them. The Ukrainian sniper who opened fire could not help but see that the military correspondents were recording video for an hour against the background of the destroyed temple. Medvedev believes that what happened was a directed provocation against the media in Russia and the DPR.
“In the published footage, Vlad Yevtushenko and I are on alert, holding weapons in our hands, since there is a direct threat to our lives, and it was only in our power to defend ourselves at that time. Therefore, on this occasion, I think the issue has been settled”, Medvedev snapped.
Soon, statements from the Ukrainian side appeared on social networks, allegedly, a hunt was announced for three journalists. The military commissar believes that this is an attempt to put moral and psychological pressure on him and his colleagues, to intimidate and silence him.
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