10 LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONALS
[Dolgachyov] The enemy's under heavy fire from Russian paratroopers
[Maksudov] We're at a frontline airfield
[Voice] The noise! The noise!
[Voice] Stay down! Crawl over here!
[Magomedov] This is what Mariupol's suburbs look like
[Sadreev] Going to the SMO for the 1st time without watching these classes
is like driving a car without a licence
ANSWERS TO 100 QUESTIONS ABOUT REPORTING FROM HOT SPOTS AND DURING EMERGENCIES
PRACTICAL THINGS NOT FOUND IN TEXTBOOKS
[Solovyova] You need experience that I don't have
[Fadeev] I've covered the Donbass conflict for 9 years
[Belous] Captured by the Ukrainians
[Chebonenko] I've been in war zones many times... [Finoshina] I cover military conflicts
[Gorin] I felt tension in the air
[Gorin] You realise that it's really dangerous out here
WAY OF THE WAR REPORTER
[GEO] Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan
[Sadreev] I'm Azat Sadreev, a journalist at BST TV in Ufa,
in the Republic of Bashkortostan
[Sadreev] I'm 39 years old and live in the capital of our republic
[Sadreev] I'm married and have a daughter
[Sadreev] I've been a journalist for about 20 of my 39 years
[Sadreev] Soldiers from Bashkortostan are deployed all over Donbass
[Azat Sadreev, Correspondent, Bashkortostan TV and Radio Company]
[Sadreev] A mortar battery's operating here
'OUR OWN', DIRECTED BY AZAT SADREEV, BASHKORTOSTAN TV AND RADIO COMPANY, 2023
[Sadreev] I travelled to the front 1st time last March
[Sadreev] If I'd watched these video lessons before my 1st trip,
it would've been much easier for me to work there
[Sadreev] I watched all 10 episodes
[Sadreev] They don't forget daily prayers
[Sadreev] The hardest thing was to explain to my family why I was going there
[Sadreev] My wife worried. She didn't want me to go
[Sadreev] She said: 'Why do you have to go?
[Sadreev] Others can go. You could refuse'
[Sadreev] I agreed I could refuse. It was a voluntary thing
[Sadreev] No one forces journalists to go to Donbass, but I had to go
LESSON 1 HOW TO TRAVEL TO A HOT SPOT
[Maksudov] In this lesson, we'll discuss prepping for a dangerous trip
[Maksudov] We'll be sharing personal experiences,
talking about the right way to do it
[Boris Maksudov, VGTRK Correspondent] The 1st advice any experienced war correspondent would give a rookie
is to ask yourself, 'Why go to a war zone?'
[Maksudov] Normal people would run a mile from it
SAFETY RULES DURING LIVE COVERAGE
[Sadreev] I found Boris Maksudov's lesson very useful
[Sadreev] He gave good advice, which I heeded, and remembered:
don't do live reports twice from the same place
[Sadreev] I'll play it for you. I noted it down
[Sadreev] It was lesson 8
[Maksudov] 1st rule: don't go live twice from the same place. It's probably...
[Maksudov] Any reporter working in the SMO zone will vouch for the fact that
the other side's also watching TV and could target you
[Sadreev] When we were in Donetsk, the city was shelled frequently
[Sadreev] We didn't just hear it, we felt the ground shake
[Sadreev] You'd have the urge to go straight to the site
[Sadreev] Maksudov's advice in this lesson is very useful,
because if we'd gone straight to the scene of the shelling,
we could've been hit by a repeat strike
[Sadreev] Every military person knows full well that 1st strikes are usually targeted
[Sadreev] Then, when rescuers and ambulances arrive, there's a 2nd attack. It's a...
neo-Nazi tactic. It's happened many times
P.S. DANGEROUS CASES FROM THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE
[Omar Magomedov, NTV Correspondent] On our first day in Mariupol, we came under mortar fire
[Voice] Stay down! Crawl over here!
[Voice] God save us!
[Voice1] Do you hear? [Voice2] Stay down!
[Magomedov] It's not the most pleasant feeling to have your face buried in the ground,
praying to God to be spared. It was the kind of situation
where a second, as they say, lasts for what seems like an eternity
[Igor Zhdanov, RT Correspondent] Under shelling, drop down right where you are
[Zhdanov] If you're standing in a hole, or a puddle, get down right there
[Zhdanov] Better dirty than dead!
[GEO] Arkhangelsk
[Denis Gorin, Journalist]
[Gorin] I'm Denis Gorin, managing director of 'Region 29' media holding
[Gorin] We're in the Arkhangelsk Region, on the 13th floor of a building
on the banks of the Northern Dvina river
[Gorin] We're here, plus several TV channels, a regional newspaper,
a political newspaper, 'Truth of the North',
and 5 news agencies
[Gorin] I'm the director, I run this company
[Gorin] Donetsk is a hero city
[Gorin] Before 2014, it was home to more than a million people
[Gorin] Today, its population is about 400k
[Gorin] People are killed here daily by shelling
[Gorin] The city employs medics from Arkhangelsk
and construction workers from Uzbekistan. We'll see
what makes the heart of Donbass beat
[Gorin] We informed the region's residents about the SMO,
and that the country was being mobilised,
including many draftees from the Arkhangelsk Region,
who joined the Special Military Operation
[Gorin] How are our soldiers doing over there? I've been lucky
[Gorin] I met some good guys, volunteers working all over the country:
the 'Rear Echelon Rats' battalion. Sounds kind of bad,
but it makes people smile
[Gorin] These are the sleeve patches they wear travelling around Donbass
[Gorin] They're well known there. I met the battalion's leader here
[Gorin] He said, 'Let's go if you want'
[Gorin] It was a great opportunity for me
[Gorin] We took med supplies for civilians, and 1st aid kits, quadrocopters,
and body armour for the troops
[Gorin] We drove 1,000 km
across the new territories' broken and rebuilt roads
[Gorin] We learnt how people live near the front
[Gorin] I deeply regret not watching Synergy University's
war reporter course before going
[Gorin] Because it contains lots of useful information that I had to get,
process and learn for myself
[Gorin] It's presented concisely, in good, usable and practical lessons
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A TRIP TO A WAR ZONE?
[Maksudov] It all depends on the time of year you're going and your destination
[Maksudov] Some places get shelled, and some are calm
[Maksudov] In some, hostilities have just begun. Others are constantly being shelled
[Maksudov] It determines what kind of stuff you take with you
[Maksudov] For me, the golden rule is to take the bare minimum,
to ensure it all fits in one rucksack
[Maksudov] If something happens, you need to move as fast as possible
[Magomedov] For me the right gear is vital: a water- and windproof jacket
and special trousers. And if all these items...
are also fireproof, that's another big plus
[Magomedov] Shoes, with Kevlar soles or additional inserts, are important,
in case, God forbid, something happens to you
[Magomedov] Then you'll have a chance to save your legs, toes, feet...
MASTER-CLASS WITH RUSSIAN WAR CORRESPONDENTS
[Gorin] I pondered a lot about what to take with me,
as it was all new for me
[Gorin] I'd never done war journalism before, never been close to any front,
or been in any kind of conflict zone
[Maria Finoshina, RT Correspondent] A journalist must learn everything about where they're going:
from the weather, what to wear to avoid heatstroke or not to freeze,
to the disposition of forces
SCHOOL FOR WAR CORRESPONDENTS
[Finoshina] Who's fighting, and what they're fighting for,
and with what weapons. A journalist must know everything
[Finoshina] Prepping is important in any job, but in our job it can save
a journalist's life and the lives of those around them
[GEO] Krasnodon, LPR
[Solovyova] I'm Larisa Solovyova, a TV journalist at the 'Tyumen Time' TV channel
[Solovyova] We're in Krasnodon. I've been here a month, on a working trip
[Solovyova] We work here as a sponsor region
[Solovyova] Tyumen Region became a sponsor region of Krasnodon a year ago
[Solovyova] We're reporting on how life is changing in the city
[Solovyova] Many of our construction workers, volunteers, and doctors are here
[Solovyova] This place is like the 1990s: time has stopped
[Solovyova] On my 1st trip, I got the impression that Krasnodon is an old city
[Solovyova] It's clearly in need of maintenance, but it's very neat
[Solovyova] I mean, you can see that people look after and care for this city
[Solovyova] When they came to the local hospital's children's ward,
our workers said the place was dilapidated, with bad utilities
[Solovyova] They were amazed how it was kept running
[Natalya Nazarenko, Acting Chief Physician, Krasnodon Central Multidisciplinary Hospital] We're glad about all the repair work, because the hospital's never had
any major renovation
[Nazarenko] We're also pleased with the new kit, some we never had before
[Nazarenko] Some equipment was obsolete, so we upgraded it
[Man] When we arrived we went to the 'Young Guard' Museum
[Man] Surprised, they said: 'Are you from Tyumen?
[Man] There are many of you here. We recognise you immediately'
[Solovyova] The sports centre, kid's ward, clinics and maternity hospital...
[Solovyova] Tyumeners are repairing key facilities
[Solovyova] Up to 300 construction workers are operating here
[Solovyova] I'm not a war reporter, I'm a human interest correspondent
[Solovyova] I'm a journalist, not a reporter
[Solovyova] It's easier for me to tell a story, to find an angle. That's me!
[Solovyova] I don't have any combat experience, and I've never held a gun
10 THINGES TO BE PREPARED FOR
[Mikhail Chebonenko, NTV Reporter] What must you prepare for? Everything! We're off to a war,
an SMO zone. Be prepared to move, to be mobile and work every day,
to make several trips a day for filming
[Omar Magomedov, NTV Correspondent] You're in a conflict zone. Things can change at any moment
[Magomedov] The place where you're staying may be shelled,
and you'll have to change location
[Magomedov] Your usual lifestyle means nothing
[Fadeev] I was slightly wounded. When we were filming a tank,
it was hit by an ATGM
[Fadeev] Actually, it exploded near it and shrapnel hit me. So...
you need to be alert to things at all times
[Solovyova] I was shocked to find I was more stress-resistant than some men
[Solovyova] An example: I was with some guys stationed near Kremennaya
who were eating at an improvised canteen
[Solovyova] We suddenly heard a terrible sound, something nearby was flying our way
[Solovyova] I glanced at them, but they just kept eating, so I watched and did the same
[Solovyova] They didn't react, so I forgot about it a second later
[Solovyova] It was just a plane flying by, bringing back troops
[Man1] Fatback
[Man2] From Tyumen? [Man1] Yes
[Man1] Is it good?
[Solovyova] Larisa Solovyova, Aleksey Bezdelov, Tyumen News Service
LESSON 2 WORKING ABROAD IN A POOL OR ON YOUR OWN
[Sadreev] From the 1st day of the SMO,
1000s of men came to enlistment offices and volunteered to join up
[Sadreev] Separate Bashkir battalions were formed and, to distinguish them,
they were given names of Russian heroes, our national heroes
[Sadreev] One of the 1st volunteer Bashkir battalions was named after
[Sadreev] Hero of Russia Minigali Shaimuratov,
and the 2nd in honour of Hero of Russia Aleksandr Dostavalov,
who died a hero's death during the Chechen War
'OUR OWN', DIRECTED BY AZAT SADREEV, BASHKORTOSTAN TV AND RADIO COMPANY, 2023
[Voice] After unloading,
we went to the dugouts to meet draftees from Bashkortostan
[Voice] There are over 2,000 here
[Voice] Spiritual guides Khamza Khazrat and Father Viktor joined us
[Father Viktor] All right, we're ready for heroic deeds
[Prayer] Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us
[Prayer] Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us
[Prayer] Glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and ever after. Amen.
[Callsign 'Tourist'] It went down like water
[Callsign 'Tourist'] Probably something like that
[Sadreev] The latest work like that is a film about
a duo of spiritual mentors in our Bashkir battalions
[Sadreev] They're the only duo like that in Donbass,
with an Orthodox priest and imam, a Muslim mullah,
working together at the front, shoulder to shoulder, visiting our troops
[Sadreev] The clergymen consider it a sacred duty
to be with our volunteers and draftees during this trying time
[Sadreev] Many times, we've seen that, whenever there's a lull in shelling,
Khamza Khazrat gathers Muslim soldiers
and invites everyone to join in collective prayer
[Sadreev] Whenever they can, they say prayers outside
[Khamza Khazrat] There are a lot of our men from Bashkortostan in the SMO
[Khamza Khazrat] You are valued, appreciated, and respected for your bravery,
and your loyalty to your Motherland, and love for your native country
[Father Viktor] In all the units we've visited,
people don't just say kind words about Bashkirs
[Father Viktor] They all say, 'It would be great if we had more Bashkirs
[Father Viktor] They are warriors you can really rely on'
[Rustam Zarafutdinov, CEO, Bashkortostan TV and Radio Company] Making 'The Holy Brotherhood' is an important task
[Zarafutdinov] It's not a simple film to make
[Zarafutdinov] I've already seen the preliminary version you've made
[Zarafutdinov] What I remember most vividly is a part from the voiceover
when the Muslim brothers are saying
their morning or evening prayers
[Zarafutdinov] Meanwhile, their Orthodox Slavic brothers are watching their backs,
protecting them while combat is still raging
[Sadreev] That actually happened
[Sadreev] It's not a staged video, it's real
[Sadreev] It was near Lisichansk in winter,
when I visited the Dostavalov battalion's positions
[Sadreev] The Dostavalov battalion was stationed near a field,
about 700-800 m from Ukrainian troops
[Zarafutdinov] What is this film's objective?
[Zarafutdinov] We have two protagonists:
an imam, Khamza Khazrat, and an Orthodox priest, Father Viktor
[Zarafutdinov] And they epitomise, first of all,
the multiethnic friendship in our republic
[Father Viktor] We arrived in the afternoon and looked for the HQ
[Father Viktor] Thank God, the officers had left in the morning because,
later, it was hit by HIMARS rockets
[Father Viktor] We got shelled pretty hard then
[Father Viktor] I received a minor injury, as we say, 'for my own good'
[Father Viktor] The Lord has saved us from death 6 times
[Khamza Khazrat] Why? [Father Viktor] Well…
[Khamza Khazrat] because...
[Khamza Khazrat] It was a question of prayer, right?
[Khamza Khazrat] Indeed, the Lord helped us at that time
because we were both praying simultaneously
[Zarafutdinov] Look, a film is like a tree
[Zarafutdinov] For instance, when Father Viktor describes how they were praying,
and shelling began just 2 minutes later...
[Zarafutdinov] It's small yet vivid stories like these that fill the crown of the tree,
making it truly appealing
[Zarafutdinov] You could bring back Pushkin and ask him to write a script,
but without really good live shots, you won't have a great story
[Zarafutdinov] Add something to breathe life into this film
[Sadreev] We fell under 'Grad' fire when we visited soldiers' positions
[Sadreev] When the shelling began,
the place where we'd brought humanitarian aid for the soldiers
was hit by about 5 rockets
[Sadreev] We were later told that a spot just 200 m from us had been targeted,
but the commanders reported that the rockets had missed...
[Sadreev] Well, not missed, but the guys managed to take shelter in dugouts,
so no one was killed
[Sadreev] It was really very frightening
[Sadreev] I won't lie, it's scary out there
FEAR FACTOR IN FILMING
[Igor Zhdanov, RT Correspondent] No coverage is worth your life or health,
but you must still take risks if you want to work here
[Magomedov] Fear has a considerable impact on filming
[Magomedov] I won't lie, it can get scary,
especially when you are close to the action
or when people are dying around you
[Magomedov] You realise you might die as well
[Magomedov] It seems to me people who say:
[Magomedov] 'I'm not afraid, nothing will happen to me'
are either delusional or stupid
[Magomedov] Fear is what keeps you from doing crazy things
[Magomedov] You won't throw yourself into the inferno
if you think the assignment is pointless
[Sadreev] I must agree with Omar because, without fear, there'd be no boundaries
[Sadreev] That's the truth
[Sadreev] Even for soldiers with extensive military experience,
who've been in wars before
[Sadreev] I ask, 'Are you afraid?' They say, 'How could you not be!
[Sadreev] It's the fear we've experienced in other wars and combat
that's kept us alive'
[Maria Finoshina, RT Correspondent] Fear both helps and impedes
[Finoshina] Too much fear holds you back,
but there's reasonable fear that will tell you,
[Finoshina] 'Don't go there, friend! It's dangerous!' while another part of you says,
'I want a good exclusive story. I want to show people's suffering'
[Finoshina] At such moments, fear may help you make the right choice
[Finoshina] I love this type of fear, I keep it with me and always control it
[Finoshina] It's scary when I don't have this kind of fear
[Finoshina] Then I fear for myself
[Sadreev] When I was watching these masterclasses,
I really liked to listen to Maria Finoshina
because our TV-channel BST, for example,
don't send in girls to Donbass, they prefer men to go there
[Sadreev] I've listened to her lessons, she gives really useful information
[Sadreev] I'm truly astonished by her bravery
[Finoshina] I always say that a journalist has many tasks
[Finoshina] When they go to a danger zone or a flashpoint,
all these tasks take a backseat
[Finoshina] Their 1st task is to survive
[Sadreev] How can one disagree with that?
[Sadreev] These words should underlie the work of every war correspondent
[Militant] The Bashkir battalion sends its regards to Jean-Claude Van Damme
[Sadreev] Can we make this pause longer?
[Sadreev] Maybe we should replace this training footage with some from real combat?
[Sadreev] We were near Lisichansk, at the frontline positions
of our Dostavalov battalion
[Sadreev] Father Viktor and Khamza Khazrat asked to be taken to the front,
though it was clearly dangerous
[Sadreev] It was a big group:
myself, a cameraman, escorting soldiers, the priest, and Khazrat
[Sadreev] Seems they saw the group moving in a wooded area with drones,
and adjusted their aim
[Sadreev] It was probably aimed fire
[Sadreev] The first shell landed near us
[Sadreev] Shell fragments were blown all over
[Sadreev] You could see them smoking on the ground, very sharp
[Man] A fragment landed right here
'HOLY BROTHERHOOD' WRITTEN BY AZAT SADREEV DIRECTED BY RADIK FATKHIEV BASHKORTOSTAN TV AND RADIO COMPANY, 2023
[Voice] Did you know a shell fragment landed right behind you, Father Viktor?
[Father Viktor] Really? [Voice] Sure it did! It's smoking
[Father Viktor] Really? Cr*p!
[Sadreev] When I picked it up, I even cut myself
[Voice] Is it heavy? [Sadreev] Yes, hefty
[Sadreev] If it hits an unprotected part of your body...
[Sadreev] Thank God, we were wearing bulletproof vests and helmets
[Sadreev] I keep this as a reminder of how dangerous it is out there
because sometimes you get yourself in too deep
in order to get a great shot
[Sadreev] And, this reminds me you have to be rational about filming
and realise it's not a pleasure trip - it's a place you can die any moment
[Maksim Fadeev, Realdoc Documentary Filmmaker] When you go to film a war,
you should be ready to lose people you've become friends with
[Fadeev] There are many heroes that I've filmed who are already dead
[Fadeev] Over the past few years, I've been to so many funerals
that I've learned all the rituals in the service
[Sergey Belous, Realdoc Documentary Filmmaker] I understand one scary thing:
if we hadn't made this film and shot this footage,
no one would know about those people...
[Belous] About their deeds, how they lived, what they thought,
what they dreamed of, what they hoped for and expected...
[Belous] Now, this footage is taking on more relevance
[Belous] That's the most valuable motivation for me
10 LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONALS
[Sadreev] We have another trip to Donbass planned, our 6th or 7th
[Sadreev] Life is the most valuable thing we have,
and you've got to understand that,
if you want to shoot some exclusive piece right on the frontline,
which is life-threatening,
you need to weigh up whether it's worth it
[Sadreev] Because if something happens and you die, your work will be pointless
[Sadreev] Our main goal is to go there, observe everything ourselves,
talk with direct participants in the fighting and local residents,
and describe the true situation they see there
MASTER CLASS WITH RUSSIAN WAR CORRESPONDENTS
[Gorin] I've bought a Chinese first-aid kit
[Gorin] For me, the most crucial thing is a tourniquet
[Gorin] This is the first thing you use to stop limbs from bleeding,
but it requires some skill to use
A standard kit to take to a flashpoint
includes a bulletproof vest, first-aid kit, and helmet
FIRST-AID KIT
[Magomedov] A first-aid kit is a crucial item for any trip to a flashpoint
[Magomedov] Martial law says if someone with their own first-aid kit comes to help you,
they should use your first-aid kit
[Denis Kulaga, Izvestia Reporter] A first-aid kit is a good thing, but it'd be good to never have to use it
[Kulaga] But people must know what's in it
[Nikolay Dolgachyov, Russian TV Radio Company Reporter] Before you go to a combat zone or a frontline,
it's advisable to get first aid training
[Dolgachyov] This might save your and other people's lives
[Ilya Vasunin, RT Reporter] A parachute jumper is supposed to pack his own parachute
[Vasunin] The same goes for first-aid kits:
you should know what's what,
what's where, and how it should look
[Maksudov] You might need it once in 1,000 trips,
but that one time might save someone's life
Here we have a space blanket
to give to a wounded person
to avoid heat loss
[Gorin] Here we have a variety of bandages,
professional ones
[Gorin] You apply tight bandages to wounds with severe bleeding
[Gorin] Here we have plasters
[Gorin] In case of a lung puncture,
you apply it to provide access or isolate the oxygen
[Gorin] Scissors to cut clothes
or find a wound from...
shrapnel or a bullet
[Gorin] Disposable gloves
[Gorin] I prepared myself,
knowing that I was going to a very dangerous region
[Gorin] It was a road show
[Gorin] We didn't know where we'd go,
so we reacted to what was happening there
[Yury Mezinov, Head, Zakhar Prilepin's Office in Lugansk Region]
[Mezinov] I always tell our volunteers that
canned stew is of secondary importance
[Mezinov] The first priority is to talk to people,
to show we're close, we're here
[Mezinov] And volunteers realise that from their very first trips
[Mezinov] It's funny when you give an angel figurine
to a tough bearded guy from Dagestan,
and he's hiding his tears
[Mezinov] And then he clutches the figurine to his heart
[Mezinov] It's so…
[Mezinov] And you find yourself crying too
[Gorin] We went to Severodonetsk, talked to people there
[Gorin] We went to Kremennaya, which is the closest to the frontline
that I've ever been
[Gorin] I felt the atmosphere there: the tense ringing air
[Gorin] And you realise how dangerous it is
just looking at volunteers' faces
[Gorin] They were highly experienced people
who had worked there more than a year
[Gorin] You're riding in a car together, talking merrily with each other,
and a person's face suddenly changes
[Gorin] They become serious, focused, and even drive differently...
with a bit more concentration
[Gorin] You drive past checkpoints
and people have stopped smiling there completely
[Gorin] Things get very serious
[Gorin] We are in Kremennaya,
2 km from the contact line
[Gorin] Our task is to reach the rector of the Holy Trinity Church,
[Gorin] Father Vladimir, who keeps his flock together here and...
distributes the humanitarian aid
that arrives from Novoaidar to Kremennaya
and is then handed out
[Gorin] People still live here, both adults and children
[Gorin] They simply don't want to leave
GEAR: PROS AND CONS
[Fadeev] It's better to have a groin protector
[Fadeev] I was once wounded, and a bulletproof vest...
wouldn't have saved me
[Kulaga] Enemy artillery won't
always spend a shell on 3 or 4 people
[Kulaga] But if they see clothes
that aren't khaki, but blue...
like most journalists'...
We used to wear blue as well...
[Kulaga] Then, yeah, we're an enticing target
[Kulaga] So, in order to protect ourselves and the people
we're moving with,
we had to abandon the blue vests and helmets
and swap them for camouflage ones
[Maksudov] While locals may walk around without vests and helmets,
a journalist must wear a vest and helmet
no matter how ridiculous you might look
wearing all that among the locals
[Maksudov] Safety rules are safety rules
[Gorin] So, we experienced a curious psychological thing
[Gorin] We came to Kremennaya to shoot an interview
with a local priest, Father Vladimir
[Gorin] So, we're talking to him in body armour and helmets
[Gorin] We're scared and having an adrenaline rush,
explosions and shelling are heard in the background
[Gorin] And, he was talking to us in a shirt
[Gorin] That looked somewhat bizarre
[Gorin] We couldn't even have a natural talk
because we were in different worlds
[Gorin] As we're speaking, we could hear
explosions and shelling in the background
[Father Vladimir] Shelling, yes
[Voice] Have you got used to it? [Father Vladimir] Yes
[Father Vladimir] If it's near, then yes, we listen to it and are alerted
[Father Vladimir] If it's far away, we just go about our business
10 LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONALS
[Gorin] We are quite restricted in terms of filming...
[Gorin] When you get there,
you always think: 'Do no harm'
[Gorin] You should never show our soldiers' positions
in order not to give them away
[Gorin] Even the volunteer centre... We filmed it in a way
to make it unclear where it's located
[Gorin] The guys were really worried about it
[Gorin] Novoaidar was shelled as well,
and they say that
the very fact that they do volunteer work
might be the reason the place was shelled,
since it makes them a target for the enemy
FACES, FACILITIES, POSITIONS, WORDS: WHAT YOU SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE SHOWN
[Mikhail Chebonenko, NTV Reporter] Covering an event, we must understand
that we can do either good or harm to our army,
for those taking part in the SMO
[Chebonenko] You must have some sort of a brake lever:
when you realise that what you want to talk about...
could lead to retaliation, backlash, or sanctions on the guys
taking part in these events
[Nikolay Dolgachyov, Russian TV Radio Company Reporter] There are clear rules, which are always given
by the official military press services and military units
[Dolgachyov] No distinct references to location while filming
[Dolgachyov] Especially when military equipment is in use
[Gorin] These thoughts very...
very fairly represent what we experienced,
when we came to the LPR
[Gorin] First and foremost,
they told us that we couldn't film military hardware,
especially pieces passing by
[Gorin] The first thing a journalist wants…
[Gorin] You're in a car, going from one settlement to another
[Gorin] You want good shots
[Gorin] There's a motor convoy,
and it looks so interesting… You can't!
[Fadeev] I once saw an analysis of my footage
from the other side
[Fadeev] They did a full analysis…
[Fadeev] I couldn't believe it was possible,
but from utility poles, bushes, tree crowns,
the silhouette of a building,
they managed to precisely determine the GPS location
[Fadeev] The only thing they got wrong
was the direction in which the soldiers were moving
[Fadeev] They thought that...
the soldiers were going to Slavyansk,
but in fact, they were just running by
[Fadeev] It doesn't matter
[Fadeev] They managed to determine the location precisely
[Fadeev] There was another case:
our reconnaissance group got intel from…
[Fadeev] I don't know how they obtained it, but they received a report
on a shelling based on my colleague's story
[Fadeev] So, a decision was made to eliminate this target
[Fadeev] Three people were killed
[Finoshina] Journalists work with words,
so they must always be very careful
what they say
[Finoshina] You may hurt someone with your words,
offend people
[Finoshina] You may bring trouble upon yourself
[Finoshina] People might sue you for slander
[Finoshina] When covering a military conflict,
your words can kill
[Finoshina] Literally
[Zhdanov] You always need to mind what you say
[Zhdanov] This isn't some kind of censorship
[Zhdanov] It's just our work
[Zhdanov] You need to know what you can talk about
[Zhdanov] Otherwise, you'll become a participant in the conflict,
and, unwittingly, a scout working for the enemy
[Gorin] We even had such a moment...
[Gorin] There's a place by the DPR
where they repair frontline equipment
[Gorin] They fix it after it's damaged
on a minefield or under shelling
[Gorin] There was a captured M-113 armoured personnel carrier
that we filmed from different angles
[Gorin] Suddenly my self-censorship kicked in
[Gorin] We had a few of the workshops in-frame
where they carried out these repairs
[Gorin] And, well, there was a geographic reference
[Gorin] And we said: 'Cut!' Not that they told us to stop
[Gorin] It was our decision, as journalists,
inexperienced ones
[Gorin] But we did it out of this anxiety that was reasonable and correct
[Gorin] We started to feel such things
[Gorin] 'Perhaps we should change things so that
nothing extra gets into the frame?'
[Maksudov] The first rule was:
always look around for a place
where you can hide, a hole or some depression
[Maksudov] Don't walk along the street from the side
that could come under fire,
as it's better to hide behind houses...
[Maksudov] It will simply be easier for you to take cover
PRECAUTIONS: INSTRUCTIONS EQUIPMENT MOBILE SERVICE
[Chebonenko] I personally had a situation...
on the outskirts of Donetsk, on Makeevka's side
[Chebonenko] After a shelling, a residential building caught fire
[Chebonenko] The shelling resumed
[Chebonenko] And one guy instinctively ran for cover
[Chebonenko] But that cover was just a thin sheet of metal,
so the protection it offered was purely visual
[Chebonenko] If fragments hit it,
they'd go right through it
and reach neighbouring buildings
[Chebonenko] As for me, my eyes caught
an open entry to a private house's basement
[Chebonenko] I took this man by the scruff of the neck
because he was shocked, stunned
[Chebonenko] We climbed down there together
[Chebonenko] We sat there for about 20 minutes, waiting for the shelling to end
[Chebonenko] When we came out, that metal sheet, was riddled with shell fragments
[Gorin] It was in Lugansk. We're walking along the streets
[Gorin] We wanted to film a few synced takes,
and there was an explosion in the block next to us
[Gorin] A terrorist attack on one of the barbershops had taken place
[Gorin] A high-ranking Ministry of Internal Affairs official was injured
[Gorin] There have been several shellings over the past 3 days
[Gorin] This has impacted life in the city
but hasn't stopped it
[Gorin] We were close
but didn't even think this would happen
[Gorin] We weren't ready
[Gorin] But, for us, the sound of that explosion was like
a signal to be careful and vigilant,
and always keep this vigilance
[Gorin] I began to feel how much
we take what's around us for granted
[Gorin] That is: the opportunity to simply live in peace,
stay in touch with our friends
and children...
[Gorin] A chance to go somewhere outdoors…
[Gorin] Even that I began to perceive differently,
as some kind of luxury or something
[Gorin] We can do this, but the people there
haven't been able to for a long time. They don't go outside
[Gorin] You can't even get out of a car
[Gorin] I was shocked that, while driving along the road,
you couldn't just stop
because there might be mines there
[Gorin] Have anything for burns? - The blue one
[Gorin] See
[Gorin] Occlusive patch
[Gorin] Let me take the anti-burn patches
[Gorin] This anti-burn remedy,
a couple of Esmarch bandages,
and a tourniquet
[Gorin] I'll take a training course, they'll teach me there
[Gorin] Here, I need a couple of elastic bandages
[Gorin] Two or three simple sterile bandage packs...
[Woman] Wide or narrow bandages? [Gorin] Wide. Patches...
[Woman] A couple? [Gorin] Yes
[Gorin] And a couple more hydrogen peroxide bottles
[Gorin] Thank you very much
[Gorin] I've basically raided the pharmacy
[Gorin] This absolutely isn't for a trip to the frontline
[Gorin] This is for life. Everyone should have such a set
[Gorin] This awareness has come thanks to training courses
and a trip there
[Gorin] We pay very little attention to our own safety
or that of others
[Gorin] I'm now upgrading my car's first-aid kit
to be ready for anything
MASTER CLASS BY RUSSIAN MILITARY REPORTERS
10 LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONALS
[Solovyova] A volunteer was travelling with the others
[Solovyova] They were delivering humanitarian aid to our military
[Solovyova] Suddenly the car's rear end jumped
[Solovyova] He didn't understand what happened,
thought there was a bump
[Solovyova] He stopped and said: 'I have a flat tyre'
[Solovyova] Everyone shouted: 'Get in the car!'
[Solovyova] He says: 'How? I'm one tyre short here!'
[Solovyova] 'It's not your tyre. Go!'
[Solovyova] In the car, they hit the gas and explained to him
that a shell had landed, so they had to get away quickly
[Solovyova] The wave from the explosion lifted the car
P.S. DANGEOUS CASES FROM EXPERIENCE
[Kulaga] One shell lands, we lie down,
but not too long. Then we run
[Kulaga] Because the first shot is a sighting one,
then the enemy begins to cover the area with shells
[Fadeev] The most extreme
and difficult filming was
when I was filming the battles in Mariupol
[Fadeev] I was only able to film all of that because
[Fadeev] I'd been preparing for it for 8 years
[Fadeev] For a month I was part of an assault group,
moving with soldiers, filming everything around me
[Fadeev] They were specifically aiming for me,
but didn't hit me, thank God!
[Fadeev] The worst thing for me was
when you realise they're shooting at you specifically
[Belous] I was captured by the Ukrainian military
[Belous] It's a long story,
even though my captivity only lasted 6 days
[Belous] We were detained By the 'Krivbass' battalion
[Belous] They brought us to the base, it was very tough there:
we were thrown out of the car, our clothes were shredded,
and our hands were tied behind our backs
[Belous] We were taken into some room where I only felt the bars
[Belous] There was bare concrete and a little bit of hay
[Belous] Someone raised a fuss,
and a decision was made at the very top
that we should be released
[Belous] The next night,
they stuffed us into the boot of the car and drove out,
dumping us at different points like after executions
[Belous] They would take one, throw him out, and say:
'Strip naked, crawl to the pit'
[Belous] And then they shot him...
[Belous] While in captivity, the realisation that I was right
helped me to stay calm
[Solovyova] Believing that you're right…
[Solovyova] That story is incredible
[Solovyova] A person who isn't a participant in hostilities or a soldier,
but a documentary journalist is captured
and humane treatment is out of the question
[Solovyova] Therefore, anyone who wants to be on the frontline with the guys,
has to understand they may get in a similar situation
and must ask themselves: 'Am I ready for this to happen to me?'
[Solovyova] We've got vests, helmets, but they're blue
with huge letters: 'PRESS'
[Solovyova] We decided that where we'd go
it wasn't worth taking them with us because drones are everywhere,
and all the guys are strongly camouflaged
[Solovyova] And here we are, all in blue, like — voila!
[Solovyova] It's not even for our sake, but for these guys,
not to give away their positions
[Poem] Burn, candle, burn and don't go out
[Poem] Don't let the darkness come
[Poem] Don't let the living forget those
[Poem] Who've died in the war!
[Solovyova] We're in Novosvetlovka village, Krasnodon District
[Solovyova] Today, they're remembering the events of 2014
[Solovyova] A memorial was erected here in honour of a dead tank crew:
[Solovyova] Vyacheslav Shuisky, Aleksandr Kozlovsky, and Aleksandr Golovkov
[Solovyova] The guys were the first to arrive to liberate the village from the UAF
[Solovyova] 'Aidar' was also stationed here
[Solovyova] Their tank took a direct hit and the crew was killed
[Solovyova] This sign was installed here to honour them,
and all the events are usually held nearby
[Solovyova] Look at me, talk to me. Work according to the plan
[Cameraman] Everyone ready? [Local] Yes, we are
[Solovyova] Let's go
LESSON 4, ETHICS IN MILITARY REPORTING: SELECTING THE RIGHT TONE AND WORDS
[Solovyova] Most of all, I liked the episode that talked about ethics
[Solovyova] What to show, what questions to ask, and how to behave
[Chebonenko] Always ensure that the emotions you see in the other person
weren't provoked by you, they must be caught in the moment
[Chebonenko] We must be ready to help a person if necessary,
since we all deal with real grief and real misfortune
[Chebonenko] And sometimes no one can help but us,
so we must be prepared for this
[Local] These are Lugansk guys, they're buried in Lugansk
[Local] Every year, on the 13th, their relatives visit this stone
[Kulaga] Naturally, we try to get the person to show some emotion
[Kulaga] It's OK
[Kulaga] But to parasitise or terrorise them emotionally...
[Kulaga] Yes, that's too much
[Magomedov] If you see they're feeling worse with every question,
it's better to end the interview
otherwise it'd be difficult to stop
[Magomedov] We've seen such cases and finished the interview at the right time
[Solovyova] You could push a woman who's lost a child
and bring her to tears with leading questions
[Solovyova] But how fair is this? If you ask the right question,
she will trust you and start talking and crying naturally
[Solovyova] This is about the level of a question, not idle curiosity
[Solovyova] Yes, there were examples of showing
or not showing the horrors of war, such as corpses etc.
[Solovyova] Telegram channels do show them
[Solovyova] Thank God, television doesn't show such things
because there are other ways to convey the atmosphere
VIDEO FOOTAGE DOS AND DON’TS
[Vasunin] When you arrive at the site of a shelling...
like the centre of Vasiliyevka at the beginning of January,
you see blood, and bits of brain there:
people torn apart by those missiles
[Vasunin] This can be shown to shock the viewer
[Vasunin] Thing is, this technique doesn't work for long
[Vasunin] A person who is constantly shown...
all these crazy shots,
which you witness yourself
and which you perceive as footage...
[Vasunin] Some vile instincts...
begin to dominate
[Maksudov] I remember an episode from my work
when I arrived in the centre of Donetsk,
where a shell landed 30 minutes ago, and we went live
[Maksudov] During that broadcast, I realised that
[Maksudov] I was talking about what happened,
surrounded by blood and dead bodies all around...
[Maksudov] Before that I agreed with the cameraman
that, if possible, the camera angles during filming
would exclude these terrible sights
[Maksudov] Anyway, these things still end up in-shot,
especially when it comes to a site of mass casualties
[Maksudov] You should always remember
to remain human and not engage in 'corpse porn'
[Maksudov] A reporter must give information, not shock the audience
[Maksudov] The rules here are the same as with a regular report -
details,
information,
facts, human stories
[Maksudov] The picture, the people, and the properly constructed drama
should speak for the reporter
[Maksudov] Like with a good dish, there should be a little bit of everything
[Solovyova] We should simply cut this advice out,
send it to all journalists,
tell them to replace the words 'hostilities on the frontline'
with any other words, and this rule will work
[Solovyova] Just so everyone's morning starts with:
[Solovyova] 'Let's remember why I'm a journalist?
[Solovyova] Because I know how to filter information, understand what's good and bad,
[Solovyova] I recognise this standard and how not to overdo it'
[Solovyova] A couple of days before we arrived, the UAF shelled this village again
[Militant] 48 hours ago, they destroyed the post office and a water pump
[Militant] They don't hesitate to bomb civilians and populated areas
that aren't military positions
[Solovyova] Larisa Solovyova and Aleksey Bezdelov for Tyumen News Service
COORDINATING JOURNALISTs AND MILITARY PERSONNEL: BUILDING THE RIGHT CONNECTIONS
[Vasunin] The military are often happy
when people with cameras appear at their positions
[Vasunin] A huge amount of work,
invisible to the eye, is military routine:
every day, people must perform the same actions
to attack the enemy successfully
and stay intact
[Vasunin] You may not be able to publish or show something on-air,
but these people will be glad to see you
[Solovyova] So we went to...
one unit where all the volunteers were former officers
[Solovyova] Their average age was 47+
[Solovyova] We arrived and saw what a camp they'd set up there
[Solovyova] They do everything so right, as it should be
[Solovyova] Their commander showed us around with such pride!
[Militant] Tyumen Region is doing well
[Militant] We know that they remember us, appreciate,
and really try to help in every possible way
[Militant] That's very important
[Solovyova] Nobody sees this! Nobody sees this truth
[Solovyova] And they worked so hard!
MASTER CLASS WITH RUSSIAN MILITARY REPORTERS
10 LESSONS FROM PROFESSIONALS
[Solovyova] Maybe that's why there isn't a queue to come here:
the conditions are so-so for spending a month away from home
[Solovyova] If you don't understand why you're here,
then you probably wouldn't want to come
[Solovyova] I do have a goal
[Solovyova] I know why I'm here
AFTER A HOTSPOT TRIP
[Finoshina] Dear rookie,
if you're currently in a hotspot, in a combat zone,
keep in mind that, once you return home,
it will be very bad
[Dolgachyov] From experience, I can say that psychological worries
about what's happening here most often occur
after the fact, not during work at the frontline
[Dolgachyov] It happens after a certain time,
when a person returns to the rear
[Dolgachyov] That's where adrenaline levels drop, and that wonderful,
most important and powerful human organ –
the brain, starts to work
[Magomedov] After a trip, it takes a lot of time to recover
[Magomedov] In my case, it helps when family, relatives, friends,
and acquaintances come to visit me
[Solovyova] Talking about family and worries...
it's absolutely correct
because if you leave for a long time,
or if a person goes to the frontline,
where their life is in danger, it's important to know
that everything's fine and under control at home
[Solovyova] Your family is your team
[Solovyova] For example, my husband copes heroically
back at home, alone with five dogs
[Solovyova] He can't wait for me to return
[Solovyova] I'd go again later
[Solovyova] I'd like to rest, because after a month you get tired and lonely
[Solovyova] The family say they won't let me go, a month is too long
[Solovyova] We'll see... But I wouldn't mind
[Gorin] It was a good school of journalism, military reporting...
[Gorin] So many psychological moments unknown to me before
[Sadreev] The 10 lessons from professionals are really useful and necessary
[Sadreev] Such lessons will help war reporters,
aspiring war reporters who go to the front,
not only tell about what's happening,
but most importantly, how to return alive
FILMED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF SYNERGY UNIVERSITY
ON NOVEMBER 23, 2023, BORIS MAKSUDOV, A RUSSIAN TELEVISION AND RADIO BROADCASTING COMPANY CORRESPONDENT AND THE CREATOR OF THE MILITARY REPORTER SCHOOL CONCEPT, DIED IN ZAPOROZHYE REGION WHILE PREPARING THIS FILM FOR BROADCAST.
A UKRAINIAN DRONE CARRIED OUT A TARGETED STRIKE ON JOURNALISTS... THE PROVISION OF THE GENEVA CONVENTION READS: 'JOURNALISTS ENGAGED IN DANGEROUS PROFESSIONAL MISSIONS IN AREAS OF ARMED CONFLICT SHALL BE CONSIDERED AS CIVILIANS.'
THE UKRAINIAN REGIME HAS ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED ITS TERRORIST STATUS
BLESSES BE THE MEMORY OF ALL JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE DIED FULFILLING THEIR PROFESSIONAL DUTIES