On Monday, October 27, 2025, the city of Kyiv was steeped in mourning as around 100 people gathered at St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery to honor two Ukrainian journalists killed in the line of duty. War correspondent Olena Hubanova, known professionally as Alyona Gramova, and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin lost their lives on Thursday, October 23, when a Russian Lancet drone struck their car in Kramatorsk, a city in the embattled Donetsk region, just about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line. The incident, which also left another reporter wounded, has once more highlighted the growing dangers faced by journalists covering the war in Ukraine.
The somber funeral service was marked by an outpouring of grief and respect. The coffins of Hubanova and Karmazin lay side by side, draped in fresh roses, as their families, friends, and colleagues paid their final respects. Blue and yellow flowers, symbolizing Ukraine’s national colors, were placed by Olha Mykhaliuk, a fellow journalist from the FreeDom channel, where both Hubanova and Karmazin worked. "Defending the truth is one of the highest forms of love for one’s neighbor," said priest Viktor Zhyvchyk during the ceremony, according to the Associated Press. "In their effort to show the truth to the world, these journalists gave their lives."
The deaths of Hubanova and Karmazin are part of a grim pattern. Earlier in October, French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed and Ukrainian reporter Grigoriy Ivanchenko was wounded in a similar drone strike. Ivanchenko later had a leg amputated, underscoring the severe risks journalists face as they report from increasingly perilous front-line areas. According to Ukraine’s National Union of Journalists, at least 135 media workers have been killed since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The reach of drones has become a particularly alarming development. As reported by the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press, drones can now strike more than 20 kilometers from the front line, making even rear areas unsafe for both soldiers and civilians. The vehicle carrying Hubanova and Karmazin was destroyed in an instant, a stark reminder of how quickly the situation can turn deadly for those trying to document the realities of war.
Hubanova, 43, was born in Yenakiieve, a city in Donetsk that has been under Russian occupation since 2014. She was widely recognized for her unwavering commitment to reporting from the most dangerous areas in Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The FreeDom channel, her employer, noted that she was constantly on the ground, "telling the world the truth about how Russian forces are destroying her native Donetsk region." Karmazin, 33, was a native of Kramatorsk and had worked as a cameraman for FreeDom since 2021. He is survived by his wife and young son.
Their dedication did not go unnoticed by regional leaders. Donetsk Governor Vadym Filashkin, who confirmed their deaths, wrote on Telegram, "Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, they covered events in the Donetsk region, telling the truth about enemy crimes, evacuations of civilians, and the stories of our defenders. They were always among the first to arrive in the hottest spots." This sentiment was echoed by many at the funeral, who remembered the journalists as brave and committed, never shying away from danger if it meant bringing crucial stories to light.
Colleague Olha Mykhaliuk, who also works for FreeDom, attended the funeral and offered a sobering perspective on the growing risks. "Attacks on journalists have become more frequent. The enemy sees it as a kind of victory," she said, as reported by the Associated Press. Her words capture the sense of unease that has gripped the journalistic community in Ukraine, where the front line is not just a physical boundary but an ever-shifting zone of danger that now extends deep into what were once considered safer areas.
Ukrainian officials have condemned the strike that killed Hubanova and Karmazin as a deliberate attempt to silence independent reporting on the war. President Volodymyr Zelensky was unequivocal in his condemnation, writing on X (formerly Twitter), "These are not accidents or mistakes, but a deliberate Russian strategy to silence all independent voices reporting about Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine." Moscow has not issued any official comment on the incident, a silence that has only deepened the sense of injustice felt by many in Ukraine.
The work of journalists like Hubanova and Karmazin has been vital in documenting the ongoing conflict, which has now entered its fourth year. Their reporting has shed light on the suffering of civilians, the evacuation of besieged communities, and the resilience of Ukrainian defenders. The FreeDom channel, a state-funded station, emphasized the importance of their mission: "In the most dangerous areas, they were telling the world the truth about how Russian forces are destroying her native Donetsk region." Their loss is not just a personal tragedy for their families and colleagues but a blow to the broader effort to keep the world informed about the realities on the ground.
As drone warfare evolves, the risks for journalists and other non-combatants increase. The ability of drones to strike far from the front lines has expanded the danger zone, making it increasingly difficult for reporters to operate safely. The Los Angeles Times observed that any movement near the front can now be spotted and targeted almost instantly, a chilling development that threatens to curtail independent reporting from conflict zones.
Despite these dangers, journalists continue to risk their lives to provide independent coverage of the war. The deaths of Hubanova and Karmazin serve as a stark reminder of the price many pay to keep the world informed. Their commitment, as noted by those who knew them, was rooted in a deep sense of duty and love for their country and its people.
As Ukraine mourns its fallen journalists, the call for accountability and protection for media workers grows ever louder. The sacrifices of Hubanova, Karmazin, and their colleagues underscore the essential role of a free press in times of conflict, even as the risks mount and the cost, for some, becomes ultimate.
