Tragedy in Kramatorsk: Honoring fallen war journalists of ‘FreeDom’ channel
Once again, Ukrainian society faced heartbreaking news: two war reporters working for the ‘FreeDom’ channel lost their lives during their service in Kramatorsk.
This tragic event underscores both the vital importance and extreme danger faced by journalists covering the ongoing conflict.
In Kyiv, at the Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery, the funeral services were held for noted journalist Olena Hubanova, also known as Alona Hramova, and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin, who were killed during a drone attack by Russian forces in Kramatorsk.
Among those present was also photojournalist Vasyl Artiyuk from ZN.UA.
Reports indicate that on the morning of October 23, a Russian drone struck the vehicle of the filming crew, resulting in the deaths of Olena and Yevhen.
Their colleague, Oleksandr Kolychev, was seriously wounded.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, over 135 journalists have lost their lives, and the toll continues to rise.
The number of media workers injured or seriously wounded since 2014, with the onset of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, is even higher.
Olena Hubanova, born in Yenakiieve, Donetsk region, had been working as a war correspondent for Ukrainian state media since 2021.
In June 2023, she was awarded the Order of Princess Olha III degree.
She was only 43 years old.
Yevhen Karmazin hailed from Kramatorsk and had been working as a cameraman for state media since 2022.
He was just 33 years old.
These tragic deaths mark the 14th and 15th journalists to lose their lives in the line of duty since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.