Kyiv, Ukraine – Ukrainian journalist and cameraman Pavlo Borysko was injured on February 4 while reporting near Vovchansk in the northeastern Kharkiv region. Borysko, working for TSN, a news program on the privately owned Ukrainian broadcaster 1+1, was covering the activities of Ukrainian drone operators when a Russian drone strike targeted the area.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has strongly condemned the attack and urged both Russian and Ukrainian authorities to ensure the safety of journalists covering the ongoing war.

“Three years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian journalists are deeply committed to documenting the war, risking their lives on a daily basis,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Russian and Ukrainian authorities should investigate the recent Russian attack that injured Ukrainian journalist Pavlo Borysko and ensure that journalists can report safely on the war.”

Borysko was reporting alongside TSN journalist Oleksandr Motornyi when the attack occurred. Motornyi, who escaped unharmed, recounted the harrowing scene, stating, “[Borysko] was lying wounded, covered in blood.”

According to Motornyi, as of February 6, Borysko remains hospitalized in stable condition but continues to face a challenging recovery. He suffered a broken leg, an eye injury, a perforated eardrum, and a fractured finger on his left hand. He has undergone two surgeries and is expected to require medical treatment for four to five months.

The incident highlights the ongoing dangers faced by journalists reporting on the conflict. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, at least 15 journalists and one media worker have been killed while covering the war. While most fatalities occurred in the early months of the invasion, attacks on journalists have persisted. In July 2024, Ukrainian photojournalist Olga Kovalyova was injured in a Russian strike in the Donetsk region. In August, British safety adviser Ryan Evans, working with Reuters, was killed in a missile strike in Kramatorsk. Ukrainian freelance reporter Viktoria Roshchina died in Russian custody under unclear circumstances in September 2024.

CPJ has reached out to the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment, but no response has been received.