Ukraine: Journalist injured in drone attack

On 3 June, Ukrainian war correspondent Olga Kalinovska was injured in a Russian drone attack. The attack came when she was travelling in a military vehicle to report on civilians living in Pokrovske, a town located 14 kilometres from the front line. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) underlines that no story is worth the life of a journalist and that the safety of journalists covering war zones should always be a priority.

Olga Kalinovska with the press officer of the 148th brigade, Serhiy Kolesnichenko, after the drone attack. Photo: Olga Kalinovska.

Olga Kalinovska is a Channel 5 war correspondent who has been reporting from the front line for years. On 3 June, she was travelling to Pokrovske, a town located 14 kilometres from the front line in the Dnipropetrovsk region of south-east Ukraine, to report on the impact of the conflict on the local civilian population. She was travelling in a military vehicle with military personnel, including a military press officer, when their car was attacked by a Russian drone approximately 17 kilometres from the front line. The drone exploded when it hit the net in front of the car, leaving Kalinovska with concussion and hearing trauma.

There is no confirmation that Russian forces were aware that the journalist was in the vehicle. Ukrainian media outlets often depend on military transportation accompanied by press officers due to the limited resources available to them to provide independent armoured transport on the front lines. While military transportation offers a higher level of protection against attacks, it also increases the risk of being targeted because it is perceived as a military asset. In September 2025, Olga Kalinovska and her crew were attacked near the town of Pokrovske. The car carrying the crew and military personnel was hit by a mine, injuring the crew and forcing them to evacuate amid drone threats.

In this context, the IFJ points out that the growing use of drone warfare, which blurs the lines of conflict and makes the threat more diffuse, is also increasing risks for journalists. With drone warfare reshaping these risks, safety measures for war correspondents must be adapted to these circumstances and warring parties must respect their obligation to protect media workers as civilians.

Sergiy Tomilenko, NUJU President, said: "It is important to understand the operational realities of frontline journalism in Ukraine. Most Ukrainian media outlets do not have armoured vehicles - such transport is available only to large international newsrooms. Working near the front, our journalists are forced to travel in military vehicles, which offer better protection against mines, shrapnel, and drone attacks. At the same time, however, such vehicles may be perceived as military targets. This is one of the most difficult dilemmas facing Ukrainian journalists today."

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "This attack reminds us that no story is worth the life of a journalist. Journalists should avoid taking unnecessary risks and media employers must ensure that safety measures are in place for journalists and media workers covering conflict zones. We stand in solidarity with our colleagues covering the war in Ukraine."