ENGHow The Washington Post and The Economist's producers operate in wartime Ukraine

Marta Rodionova and Kostyantyn Khudov began their careers in journalism. They co-founded a video production, primarily filming public service advertisements.

As the full-scale war escalated, they shifted their focus to assisting foreign journalists arriving in Ukraine. These journalists needed a person who could manage fieldwork logistics – a fixer. Due to word-of-mouth referrals, Marta and Kostyantyn became inundated with requests and work, leading them to work specifically for certain publications. Kostyantyn began collaborating with The Washington Post, while Marta linked up with The Economist. Initially starting as fixers, guiding journalists and assisting them in preparing materials, they eventually became producers, acquiring more influence over the content and participating in its creation.

We spoke with Marta and Kostyantyn, who remained in Kyiv at the onset of the full-scale invasion and joined foreign media outlets teams to help them report truthfully and accurately about the war in Ukraine.

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Kostyantyn Khudov has collaborated with The Washington Post since February 21, 2022. "By January, everyone understood that something was about to happen. My business partner Marta was in Sri Lanka and started writing from there, mentioning many journalists asking for help. I didn't want to get involved, as I had previously worked in journalism and left the profession. But I agreed when I realized the situation was getting serious," Khudov recalls. Until May of the previous year, he was a freelance fixer in a team, working primarily in and around Kyiv.

When The Washington Post opened a full-fledged bureau in Kyiv in May, he joined the team as a local producer. "My task is to ensure the story comes out as accurate and correct as possible, considering the local context. A journalist who has come to a country for three weeks cannot know all the nuances, such as whether they are communicating with a suitable speaker. It's also important to find stories that will resonate with an American reader," explains Khudov.

"We wrote about women with children during the May shelling, mentioning the air defense systems provided by Western partners and how they protect the capital and people's lives. Everyone waits for success stories from the frontline. Still, it's equally important to highlight help from partners in the medical field or mine clearance. In this way, we show that their taxes and aid to Ukraine are working and saving lives," Khudov shares.

"Our goal is to build the right communication for Ukraine in the world and get what we need, that is, help and cooperation. And for this, we need to be in the spotlight," says Rodionova. Right now, there's an active period of war coverage due to the counter-offensive and the ecological disaster [after the Russian demolition of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station] in the Kherson region. It's harder to stay on the pages of foreign publications when the war moves into a frozen stage.

Another critical aspect of the work is the safety of the team with which the producer works. Large publications have security advisers responsible for teams in eastern Ukraine. At The Washington Post, three to four teams can work in the country simultaneously. However, security advisers operate in the East and South, where the fronеlines are, while all others are responsible for themselves.

Working in war zones asks for commitment, especially when reporting on your homeland's struggle. Khudov confronts this situation daily, covering tragic events while finding a balance between wanting to help people and producing content for an American reader. "You are not just working with the people you're interviewing, but with fellow Ukrainians," says Kostya Khudov.

When three people died in the Desniansky district following a Russian missile strike on June 1, the team drove to the location immediately. "We interviewed a man who had lost his wife. It's horrifying that 15 months have passed since the full-scale invasion began, Kyiv is under non-stop rocket attacks, and people are dying because they went for shelter," Khudov recalls.

For Marta Rodionova, the emotional toll of covering such stories is significant as well. "After every tough interview about loss, you feel the emotional wave catching up with you," Rodionova says. "What keeps you going is understanding why you're doing it, so you shut off your emotions and apply a 'work filter.' During work, you don't think about these being your people. But then you finish working, you come home and think, 'Okay, I need a glass of wine to calm down,'" says The Economist's producer. She adds that to work in dangerous areas, she has undergone various trainings and strives to be careful.

There are also challenges in communication with authorities after publishing specific reports. Since the spring of 2023, The Washington Post has released a series of articles about classified Pentagon documents that became available to the newspaper's journalists. "We gained access to these documents, and teams in Kyiv, London, Brussels, and Washington have been working on each specific case related to Ukraine. For example, one story revealed that the Pentagon knew about Ukraine's probable plan to sabotage Nord Stream. After the publication of such material, there might be issues with arranging interviews. Still, we find a way," Khudov explains.

While The Washington Post producer's press accreditation was never revoked, they, like most international media, experienced tension with press officers or the Ministry of Defense following their publications.

Marta Rodionova has had a more positive experience working with speakers and press officers. "It's strategic work. With each person, you build long-term relationships, checking quotes when necessary, asking for permissions, and making calls," Rodionova says. According to her, The Economist has a good reputation; they are cautious about what they release to not harm Ukraine in terms of security. This might involve hiding the precise location or preserving the speaker's anonymity. Rodionova tries to review all content they publish from Ukraine. She mentions that there have been delays in obtaining permission to work on the frontline but no outright denials.

"Returning veterans to everyday life is our main challenge after the victory. It includes rehabilitation, particularly psychological. We must reintegrate them into normal life – without war, artillery, explosions, and injuries. This will be difficult because we live in somewhat different worlds," says Kostyantyn Khudov. He is convinced that this is the duty of the state and each of us. When your friend, a person you know, or significant other returns from the frontline, learning the appropriate way to behave is essential.

Khudov believes that for everyone to reintegrate someone from their environment back to everyday life, they should give them time, talk to them, offer them jobs, search for rehabilitation centers and donors for better prosthetics, and, most importantly, not rush. "From my experience, they don't need pity; they need human and open communication without emphasis on what they have been through unless they talk about it themselves. Because each question is an incredible flashback," Kostya shares.

"We, Ukrainians, already know what needs to be done. We unite to save people after the dam blast, rescue animals, and donate. We will need to narrow the focus and help people returning to adapt," he continues.

Marta Rodionova from The Economist believes that finding common ground is more of a concern for Ukrainians who were forced to escape the war by leaving Ukraine. "My friends who left are more concerned about finding common ground than those who stayed. Those dealing with tragedy have other priorities. However, I noticed that our film producers suggest involving people who stayed in Ukraine because they need work more," says Rodionova.

"Foreign audiences have grown weary of our war; they have their own issues," says Kostyantyn Khudov. Therefore, it is crucial to convey that the Russians will stop at nothing, that it is impossible to sit at the negotiating table and reach an agreement. Another important message pertains to the vast number of people in Ukraine needing physical and psychological rehabilitation.

"When we conduct interviews, we tend to cut out moments with a high degree of intensity. For instance, a person suffering greatly or a mother crying painfully. I wouldn't want Ukrainians to be pitied; we should be respected for our strength," says Rodionova. Moreover, from her experience, overly emotional images don't resonate with foreign audiences; they tend to repel them.

Finally, we need to emphasize that the billions in aid Ukraine receives are effectively utilized and assist us in defending our independence and protecting Europe.

For Kostyantyn Khudov, as with most conscious citizens who are not on the frontline, his motivation is to try to be as helpful as possible to help bring victory closer. In addition to this, it's the team that keeps him going. "I always move on if there's something I don't like in the team. But the team at The Washington Post is professional and empathetic. They are amazing as people and as professionals," Khudov adds.

Marta Rodionova is also driven by her team. "The editorial team brings me to London to give a hug and say 'thank you.' This is more than just a job," says Marta.

Moreover, being occupied and doing what she loves is important to her. "I love my job; it brings me satisfaction. I need to be constantly busy. Otherwise, I start to get depressed," Rodionova adds.

"Kyiv has changed because the people have changed. The unity, help, and openness seem unprecedented. I hope this won't disappear. Because Kyiv is love. And this tragedy has only strengthened our bond with the city," says Kostyantyn Khudov.

"At the beginning of the invasion, Kyiv was empty, and there were few people. We greeted strangers on the street. Now, I see traffic jams, and it makes me very happy. People have started to return home, and it's wonderful," shares Marta Rodionova. She also notices that she doesn't hear Russian-speaking people in the city that much. "Young people are speaking Ukrainian. Kyiv has become cool, awesome, brave, and alive. I like how people react to the bombardments, turning them into memes. On the one hand, it's absurd, but on the other, we have a great army, so you don't worry when the air raid sirens go off," Rodionova continues.

For Kostya Khudov:

• The triangle of Reitarska–Valy–Pavlivska Street–Garden–Sichovykh Striltsiv and Lvivska square.
• Favorite places – Zigzag, "Kosatka", TCP.
• The "Zhovten" cinema.
• Musafir. "Because in the city center, it was the first restaurant where you could order hot food when the Russians tried to enter Kyiv, and there was nowhere to eat."

For Marta Rodionova:

• My source of strength is my home. I have a battery, my dog Baki; my friends say it's a whole generator.
• Pure & Naive on Ivana Franka, Zigzag on Reitarska, Mimosa on Baseyna: "I love Reitarska, Lvivska Square, and everything around it."
• The "EBSH" sports club.

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This publication was prepared under IWPR's Ukraine Voices: Protecting the Frontline project generously funded by UNESCO. The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this discussion and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.

Credit: Oksana Parafeniuk for The Washington Post