On 26 January 2023, two Czech journalists and their Ukrainian fixer came under fire near Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. The area is the site of intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops for control over Bakhmut city.
In a tweet, ČT24 correspondent Andreas Papadopulos said a drone overflew the film crew, and that five minutes later Russian soldiers fired at them, with two shots landing at a distance of about 20 meters away. According to Papadopulos, they were deliberately targeted as journalists. He posted a short video from the area showing visible “PRESS” markings on his clothes. Neither him, nor Czech reporter Jan Bradáč were wounded in the incident. Anastasia Zhuk, their Ukrainian fixer, was also left unharmed. Zhuk told the Institute of Mass Information, a Kyiv-based NGO, that she was “200% sure” the crew was deliberately targeted by Russian forces for reporting from the area.