On 23 May 2024, journalist Marian Kushnir, who works for the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL, known locally as Radio Svoboda), came under fire while on a reporting trip to Vovchansk, in the north of Russia’s Kharkiv region, less than 10 km from the border with Russia. The area had been the site of intense combat between Russian and Ukrainian forces after the start of a recent Russian offensive in Kharkiv region. Kushnir said that he and people accompanying him were in the basement of a building which was likely hit by an aviation bomb. The building took fire following the strike, however those present on-site managed to escape without injury.