Radio Free Europe journalists come under Russian fire near Bakhmut

On October 10, a Radio Free Europe (RFE) film crew came under artillery fire while filming military operations in the Bakhmut direction of Ukraine’s Donetsk region

This incident was reported by Radio Free Europe and relayed by Ukrinform.

The team from RFE’s Donbas Realities project, which included correspondent Roman Pahulych and cameraman Pavlo Kholodov, was documenting the work of FPV drone operators when Russian forces targeted the Ukrainian positions with artillery fire.

The first shell landed close to Pahulych and the soldiers he was interviewing. Pahulych sustained a concussion (acoustic trauma), and two soldiers were slightly injured, while Kholodov avoided injury from shrapnel. All the affected individuals were transported to a stabilization point, where they received first aid.

As reported earlier, Donetsk region remains under constant shelling from Russian forces. The attacks result in frequent civilian casualties, destruction of homes, businesses, and damage to critical infrastructure such as energy and gas facilities. Donetsk holds the longest stretch of the front line, spanning roughly 300 kilometers.