Yuliia Riabova’s hometown of Odessa was one of the first places to be attacked by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Riabova was working as a correspondent for a local TV news channel, GRAD, and it was her job to be at the scene and report on the destruction.
Not long after the war started, Riabova stepped up to a more senior position.
“I kind of became the main editor at that point. I had just turned 25. It was overwhelming because before Covid there were a lot of TV companies in Odessa and then probably a year into the war there were only three left, and we were one of them.
“It did feel really important to keep doing our job.”
The frequent and unpredictable blackouts made it extremely difficult. They left her team without internet to upload their stories, without phone signal to communicate and without heating or hot water.
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