On 10 October 2024, a reporting crew with the Donbas.Realities project of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) came under fire while filming the Ukrainian military’s operations near Bakhmut in Donetsk region.
The group, which consisted of correspondent Roman Pahulych and cameraman Pavlo Kholodov, was filming the work of Ukrainian military drone operators when the Russian military hit these positions with artillery. A first shell fell next to Pahulych and soldiers with whom he was speaking to. As a result, the journalist sustained an aquabarotrauma concussion, while the two soldiers sustained minor injuries. Kholodov was not hit by the blast. All the victims were taken a nearby army medical center, where they were given first aid. According to Pahulych, ballistic protection he was wearing stopped one of the projectile fragments from reaching his neck.
Donbas.Realities reported that the lives of the media workers and of the soldiers who were accompanying them were not at risk.