Destroyed Operating Room in the Hospital of Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia Region
Photo Credit: Svitlana Zalizetska
I fell in love with the profession back in 1994, as I took great pleasure in being the first to know the news and having the ability to share the truth with others.
Since the war began, I have continued to write the truth. But now, it's the truth about life under occupation, about war crimes, and Kremlin prisoners — my fellow citizens, friends, and relatives. These are articles about the pain of loss. But there is also another equally important topic — social solidarity. War and suffering unite Ukrainians, inspiring mutual assistance and self-sacrifice. The heroes of my articles are internally displaced persons, soldiers, prisoners, and those who have lost their loved ones and property due to the war.
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But I am incredibly driven by the desire to reunite with my parents, who remain under occupation. We haven’t seen each other for more than three years. It’s also important for me to wait until the release of my friends from captivity. It’s hard, but at the same time, it is the greatest driving force and motivation not to give up and continue working.
The hardest thing is working with people who have been in captivity and endured torture. Every time I am alone and writing such interviews, I promise myself I won’t cry. And every time, I can’t hold back the tears as their pain goes through me.
It was extremely difficult to continue working when my father was taken prisoner by the Russian invaders, who demanded that I return to the occupied city. It became even harder when my colleagues, Georgiy Levchenko and Anastasia Glukhovskaya, were captured. They are held solely because they are journalists. Now, part of my work is dedicated to fighting for their release.
There are also material challenges: our editorial office in the temporarily occupied Melitopol was looted by Russian soldiers, and we had to start over in Zaporizhzhia, just 30 km from the front. But due to a rocket attack, the premises were damaged. This is the third time we’ve had to relocate, and it is certainly exhausting.
The only
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Today, Melitopol is an important logistical center for the occupation authorities; it leads to occupied Crimea.
Project manager at RIA Pivden (temporarily occupied Melitopol).
Zalizetska kept on working even during the occupation but then had to flee to Zaporizhzhia, which is just 30 km from the front line.
Svitlana
Zalizetska