Russian drone kills two Ukrainian journalists in Donetsk region

This was reported by the head of the regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin.

From the first days of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, they covered the situation in the region, told the truth about enemy crimes, the evacuation of the civilian population, the stories of our defenders. They worked in the hottest spots of the Donetsk region, were always the first everywhere. It is hard to believe that this could have happened to them... This is a heavy loss for the region and all of us.

The journalists were in a car at a gas station when they were hit. Special correspondent Oleksandr Kolychev survived, but was taken to the hospital, the website of the TV channel "Dim" reported.

The information about the journalists' deaths was also confirmed on the Freedom TV channel. Host Yuriy Kulinych said that Olena and Yevhen worked in "the hottest spots in the Donetsk region" and expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.

The Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, reacted to the attack on journalists in Kramatorsk.

Journalists are civilians and are protected by international humanitarian law. They were fulfilling their professional duty to document the consequences of Russian aggression in Ukraine and bring the truth to the world, despite constant danger. This tragedy is yet another example of Russia's systematic war crimes against civilians. Those responsible must be held accountable in accordance with international law.

Dmytro Lubinets

Ombudsman of Ukraine

Olena Gubanova (creative pseudonym — Olena Gramova) was born in 1982 in Yenakiieve, Donetsk region. Since her student years, she worked in journalism. After graduating from university, she was a presenter on radio "Melodia", later — on regional television.

Since March 2021, Olena has worked on the TV channel "Dim". In June 2023, she was awarded the Order of Princess Olga, 3rd degree.

Yevgeny Karmazin was born in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region. Since 2022, he has worked as an operator for Ukrainian state foreign broadcasting channels. Yevgeny was 33 years old.