UK outlets commit dozens of staff to covering invasion of Ukraine

Dozens of UK journalists are currently inside Ukraine with every major news organisation committing staff to cover the unfolding conflict.

Various TV news bulletins were anchored from Kyiv on Friday and most national newspapers had correspondents on the ground.

Press Gazette reported this week on concerns that some conflicts are going unreported because of danger.

But for the present, UK news organisations appear determined to invest in first-hand coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Below Press Gazette rounds up how major UK news outlets are covering the conflict.

BBC News

BBC reporters in Ukraine at time of writing included: presenter and foreign correspondent Clive Myrie, chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, international correspondent Orla Guerin, Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, Today programme presenter Nick Robinson and diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams. In addition, the BBC told Press Gazette that BBC News Ukraine and BBC News Russia “continue to serve their audiences as well as providing expert insight and analysis across the BBC’s domestic and international services”.

Unusually, Myrie anchored the BBC News at One, Six and Ten on Thursday all from Kyiv. During the News at One Myrie and chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet put on flak jackets marked “press” as air raid sirens blared around them. Myrie is currently working as a correspondent for rolling news on both the BBC’s UK and World News broadcasts.

On Thursday the BBC’s 6pm news bulletin was an hour-long programme, moving The One Show to BBC Two, while the 10pm broadcast lasted 45 minutes. The BBC says its extended News at Six drew an average of 5.3m adults – 20% higher than the 2021 average – and the News at 10 3.8m adults, constituting a 30% audience share.

Friday’s Today programme on BBC Radio 4 was presented by Nick Robinson from Kyiv and Doucet explained why the BBC has changed its standard pronunciation from the Russian Kiev to the Ukrainian Kyiv.

Guerin tweeted on Thursday: “Thanks to all who are expressing concern and support for the safety of #BBC teams here in #Ukraine. It is very much appreciated. Thank you for following our reporting on this frightening new war in Europe.”

BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams is also in Kyiv – but is isolating, having tested positive for Covid.

BBC Ukrainian Service editor Marta Shokalo has written an article describing her and her son’s escape from Kyiv.

The BBC says that the BBC News channel had its biggest day in over a year on Thursday, and that almost 20m UK adults watched BBC News programmes on television across the day.

BBC News’ online offering also had a busy day, seeing almost 23m UK visitors, also the highest figure in over a year. It was the sixth biggest day ever for international visitors, and the biggest day in the past three years for audiovisual content on the site.

A new daily podcast, Ukrainecast, was specially launched on Thursday through BBC Sounds. The podcast is presented by Victoria Derbyshire and Newsnight international editor Gabriel Gatehouse.

Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg is contributing coverage from the Russian capital. Former Ukraine correspondent Jonah Fisher is assisting BBC Breakfast with analysis of overnight events.

The corporation is planning an episode of Panorama devoted to the crisis, and interim head of news content Richard Burgess is due on Newswatch at 8:45pm to discuss the BBC’s Ukraine coverage.

Sky News

Sky News journalists in Ukraine include: presenter Mark Austin, chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, Africa correspondent John Sparks, security and defence editor Deborah Haynes and national correspondent Alex Rossi.

Two separate Sky News broadcasts, in Kharkiv and Kyiv and led respectively by Ramsay and Austin, had to be aborted because of artillery fire.

Austin has provided Press Gazette with his reporting diary from Ukraine. You can read it here.

Sky says it has a strong contingent of staff in Ukraine and others on hand in neighbouring countries, including international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn and Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay reporting from the Russian capital and Europe correspondent Adam Parsons in Poland.

The broadcaster will be putting out two dedicated hour specials on the invasion every day, at 1pm and 7pm, beginning on Monday.

A Sky News spokesperson told Press Gazette: “In the 24 hours since Russia started its attack, Sky News’ eyewitnesses reporting from the front line and insightful analysis of the crisis has been consumed by millions. The appetite for impartial, trustworthy reporting on the crisis has been seen across digital platforms with Sky News’ TikTok channel doubling its followers in just a day, with one video receiving nearly 12 million views and counting.”

Daily Mail

Daily Mail coverage is being provided by freelance foreign correspondent Ian Birrell.

Amid its 22 pages on the conflict, the Mail announced on Friday it was changing its standard spelling of the Ukranian capital to Kyiv, writing: “Opting to use ‘Kyiv’ is not some pedantic, virtue-signalling gesture. It is a symbolic show of support for an independent people being crushed by an authoritarian monster. For as we all know from experience, words matter.”

Update: On Sunday the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday launched an appeal to support charities on the ground in Ukraine. It raised more than £268,000 from readers in its first 24 hours plus a £500,000 donation from DMGT chairman Lord Rothermere to “kickstart the campaign”.

“The heroism of the Ukrainian defence humbles us all. But we in Britain can play our part, too,” said Lord Rothermere.

“That is why the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday have together launched an urgent appeal to support the charities already on the ground assisting stricken families.

“There is no time to lose, so DMGT is today making a donation of £500,000 to kickstart the campaign.”

Mail Online

Like its print sister, Mail Online has adopted the spelling “Kyiv” going forward. The title says it has increased staffing levels across news, pictures and video in all its newsrooms, and that its news teams in London, New York, Washington DC and Sydney are working together to maintain continuous coverage.

Daily Mirror and Daily Express

Daily Mirror and Daily Express coverage from Ukraine is being provided by Mirror chief reporter Andy Lines and photographer Andy Stenning.

Lines reported, in an article published to both titles‘ websites: “Before 7am I counted 20 explosions as Russia targeted military establishments on the city’s outskirts. It seemed scarcely believable that a full scale invasion could take place in Europe in 2022.” His report also appeared on the website of the Mirror’s Reach stablemate, the Daily Express. Stenning and Lines left Kyiv on Friday, but remain in Ukraine.

The Mirror plans to print a double-page spread of the Ukrainian flag that readers can put in their windows to show support for the country. Following reader demand, it is also doing a “How you can help” campaign both in print and online.

The Express had eight spreads covering the invasion on Friday, and expects to have six or seven for Saturday. The title says it is also using a Ukrainian journalist on the ground, who works for The Times.

Financial Times

The Financial Times has South-East Asia correspondent John Reed, Moscow correspondent Polina Ivanova and Ukraine correspondent Roman Olearchyk all reporting from inside the embattled country. The paper devoted eight news and analysis pages, four comment pages, and two features pages to the story on Friday, and says that online it has recorded some of its highest ever online traffic and reader engagement.

The FT has put the most important parts of its Ukraine coverage outside of its paywall. A spokesperson said: “We recognise that we have a responsibility to make our important and authoritative journalism available to everyone, not only subscribers.” The free articles can be viewed here.

On Friday the paper also hosted a digital live event for which 5,000 subscribers registered, featuring commentary from Moscow bureau chief Max Seddon, world news editor Anne-Sylvaine Chassany, and chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman. The outlet plans to run Twitter Spaces with its columnists next week, and says that, “Due to audience interest, we will be pivoting our Telegram channel to focus entirely on Ukraine coverage.”

FT News Briefing, the FT’s daily morning podcast, has seen “a huge spike in downloads over the past week”, up to an average of 4m per month.

FT news editor Matthew Garrahan said: “We have seen the very best of the FT since the war in Ukraine began. Brilliant contributions from reporters in the field covering a fast moving and momentous story, and desk editors working long hours to ensure we provide the accurate and authoritative coverage our readers rely on.”

i

Economics editor David Parsley is reporting from inside Ukraine for the i.

Parsley tweeted on Thursday night: “UKRAINE – NIGHT TWO: The missiles have just begun arriving here in Kyiv again. Volume suggests they are closer to centre than last night. Nights are long here. So are the days. I spoke to a colleague also here last night. He swore we met on Monday. It was Wednesday.”

The Independent

World affairs editor Kim Sengupta is reporting from Kyiv for The Independent and Middle East correspondent Bel Trew is in western Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the title told Press Gazette that international correspondent Borzou Daragahi is covering the refugee crisis at the Hungarian border.

The publication on Monday relaunched its “Refugees Welcome” campaign for those fleeing Ukraine, writing in an editorial: “When war tore through the Balkans in the 1990s, thousands of refugees were given sanctuary in Britain. And we can do it again”

The Sun

The Sun has chief foreign correspondent Nick Parker, defence editor Jerome Starkey and photographer Doug Seeburg in Ukraine.

Sun veteran of 30 years Parker as well as Seeburg have been in Kyiv since the week before the invasion. Parker described “fear stalking the streets” on Thursday morning as the pair came across bomb sites and missile wreckages.

He said: “After reporting on two Gulf wars and the Afghanistan conflict, this brutal bloodbath on Europe’s doorstep is something completely new to me.”

Meanwhile Starkey, a veteran of Afghanistan reporting, has been reporting from along the eastern front of Ukraine where Putin’s tanks drove into Donetsk and Luhansk on Thursday morning.

In his eyewitness reporting he wrote: “Throughout the day The Sun saw convoys of Ukrainian tanks, trucks, ambulances and artillery guns manoeuvring in small groups to make them harder to hit.

One wounded soldier was comforted by his comrades who held his hands as tanks rolled past.”

The Daily Telegraph

The Telegraph has three reporters and two photographers providing the publication’s coverage in the field, including Middle East correspondent James Rothwell and senior foreign correspondent Roland Oliphant.

Moscow correspondent Nataliya Vasilyeva has written on her arrest by Russian police for attending an anti-war demonstration.

The title is maintaining a 24/7 live blog and sharing video reports on YouTube.

The Times and Sunday Times

The Times and The Sunday Times have war correspondent Anthony Loyd, diplomatic correspondent Catherine Philp, photographer Jack Hill and Middle East correspondent Louise Callaghan in Ukraine.

The Times devoted the first 13 pages of its printed edition on Friday to the invasion and turned its masthead black. Since Thursday morning it has published more than 100 digital articles about Ukraine.

The paper had its correspondents on the ground appear regularly on Times Radio in moments that were turned into clips for social media. The station, which The Times says had its biggest-ever audiences, brought on guests including former Nato commander General Sir Richard Shirreff, a Ukrainian MP who pleaded for a no-fly zone, and a longtime Irish resident of Kyiv who told the Times’ presenters he wanted to fight for Ukraine.

Russia correspondent Tom Parfitt and Moscow correspondent Marc Bennetts are contributing reporting from the Russian capital.

The Guardian and The Observer

The Observer’s international affairs correspondent Emma Graham-Harrison and Guardian foreign correspondent Luke Harding are in the field for the sister papers.

Thursday was, according to a Guardian News & Media spokesperson, one of the busiest days ever for The Guardian website, with over 75m page views and 12m for the Ukraine live blog alone, making it the tenth most-read Guardian story of all time.

The spokesperson said that “coordination between Guardian newsrooms in the UK, US and Australia, along with several experienced correspondents on the ground, means the Guardian can provide unrivalled round-the-clock live coverage to our increasingly global audience.”

ITV News

ITV News reporters in Ukraine include security editor Rohit Kachroo and James Mates.

A spokesperson for the outlet said: “We’ve reacted with an emergency ITV News podcast, which coincides with the launch of our new series ITV News: What You Need To Know as we bid farewell to the Coronavirus: WYNTK title.

“One thing that’s been very noticeable is the amount of people online searching for news sites today. It’s clear that people are looking for places to go for reliable information that helps explain a complicated crisis.”

ITV’s TikToks, it says, were viewed almost 11m times on Thursday. It claims to now be “the third highest news organisation and number one UK broadcaster on that platform”.

Buzzfeed News

Buzzfeed News has its national security and extremism correspondent, Christopher Miller, on the ground in Ukraine, accompanied by three local freelancers.

Channel 4 News

On Friday Matt Frei presented from Kyiv for Channel 4 News while Lindsey Hilsum has been reporting from Dnipro.

Thursday’s Channel 4 News had 7m views across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, and three of the outlet’s TikToks received collectively 2m views. The channel says it has 15,000 new TikTok followers.

5 News

A Channel 5 News spokesperson told Press Gazette: “We had a team in Kyiv when the attacks began. They are now travelling and reporting on the people fleeing their homes. We’re heading to Poland to continue coverage – on both the refugees and the NATO response. ”

Metro

Free daily Metro led on Friday with a front page likening the Russian president to Adolf Hitler. The publication told Press Gazette “our dedicated team at Metro.co.uk has stepped up to the challenge of covering the conflict, with all hands on deck and staff from other departments working to support the news desk.

“We’ve also adapted our audience, social and newsletter strategy to make sure we are getting our content into the hands of readers who are looking for regular updates.

“We are aware of the impact being involved in such a news cycle can have on staff, so we have made sure they know that we have specialist support available to them should they need it.”

Freelancers

There are also some British reporters out in Ukraine unattached to any particular outlet. Former Panorama reporter John Sweeney is in Kyiv, in part using a Crowdfunder to sustain his work. Freelancer Oz Katerji is also reporting from the city.

Russian media

Russian opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta, whose editor jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has announced it will publish an edition in Ukrainian.
Kommersant international correspondent Elena Chernenko has been expelled from Russia’s Foreign Ministry press pool after she wrote an open letter condemning the invasion, according to Meduza editor Kevin Rothrock.
On Saturday state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti appeared to accidentally publish an article prepared in advance for an eventual capture of Kyiv. The since-deleted article, written in Russian, said: “Ukraine has returned to Russia. This does not mean that its statehood will be liquidated, but it will be restructured, re-established and returned to its natural state as part of the Russian world.”
A stream of employees at Russian state broadcaster RT have been departing the publication in protest at the invasion. Read more here.

Ukrainian media

The Kyiv Post reported that its site has been under continuous cyberattack, but the publication has continued to report on events via Twitter and Telegram.

Read more:

Pictures: BBC News, Sky News, Daily Mail, Mail Online, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Financial Times, i, The Independent, The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian

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