Date: 23 June 2026, 20:00-21:30

Location: Evangelisches Bildungswerk, Am Ölberg 2, 93047 Regensburg, Germany

Speakers: Olena Babakova, Milan Lelich, Serhiy Shturkhetskyy 

Organizers: “Denkraum Ukraine” / “Think Space Ukraine” at the University of Regensburg, financed by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) through the funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA), Evangelisches Bildungswerk Regensburg

Language: English

What does it mean to report under fire? In this session, we will explore how journalists in Ukraine navigate their work amid war. Has Russia’s full-scale aggression changed journalism forever, or does it continue earlier patterns of reporting under pressure? We will look at the physical dangers and psychological toll reporters face – and ask how they see their own role: are they documenting events, resisting aggression, or both?

We will also consider how journalists’ coverage has changed: Which topics do they approach differently now, and which are they unable or unwilling to address? Are they seeking new forms of expression? Who is their audience, and who are they no longer able to reach?

Do Ukrainian reporters see themselves as participants in the conflict, with a primary mission to resist aggression, or do they continue to view their role as documenting and recounting events? How has their understanding of objectivity and journalistic integrity shifted since February 24, 2022 – are there other key “cutoff dates” as well?

Our goal is to move beyond abstract analysis. While academic perspectives help us register ongoing events, perceive them as historical variables, and identify systemic patterns, it is the deeply personal stories of journalists that reveal these dynamics most vividly. These stories will be the focus of our conversation.

Olena Babakova

Dr. Olena Babakova has an academic background in Early Modern History, but her professional life is dedicated to journalism. Originally from Kyiv, she has lived in Poland since 2008. Olena specializes in migration, international relations, new media, and human rights, covering stories for both Polish and Ukrainian media, including Gazeta Wyborcza, Krytyka Polityczna, Texty, European Pravda, and Graty. Since 2021, she has taught journalism at Vistula University. Non-resident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council. As a Polish Ukrainian, she enjoys dark comedy, challenges, and complaining.

Milan Lelich 

Journalist at RBC-Ukraine News Agency (Kyiv)

Milan Lelich is a prominent Ukrainian political observer and analyst with nearly 20 years of professional experience. Since 2009, he has covered Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy for leading national media outlets, including the weekly magazines Glavred, Ukrainian Week, and Focus. Since 2018, he has held a key role at RBC-Ukraine, one of the country’s leading online outlets, where he currently heads the Politics and World departments.

Mr. Lelich specializes in domestic political dynamics, the activities of the Parliament and the Office of the President, European integration, and the peace negotiation process. His professional portfolio includes on-the-ground reporting from the war zone and de-occupied territories, as well as coverage of major international events such as the Munich Security Conferences (2024–2025), NATO and EU summits. With a background in government communications, he has conducted high-profile interviews with senior Ukrainian and European officials and is a regular commentator for Ukrainian television and the international news channel TVP World.

Serhiy Shturkhetskyy

Dr. Serhiy Shturkhetskyy is a Ukrainian journalist, media expert, researcher, and trainer with more than 30 years of professional journalism experience. He is Associate Professor of Journalism at the National University of Ostroh Academy and Associate Professor at the School of Social Work of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Since 2019, he has served as Head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine and as a member of the Presidential Council on Freedom of Speech and Protection of Journalists. 

He has worked with UNESCO and, since 2013, with the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and the International Federation of Journalists as an expert and trainer in media literacy, journalism ethics, journalist safety, and countering disinformation. He is the author or co-author of more than 50 scholarly and methodological publications, including journalism manuals published across several countries and languages.