The importance of solidarity and exchange became evident on the very first day of the MediaDialogue program in Ukraine, organized by Dr. Wolfgang Ressmann. Volodymyr Danyliuk and his team guided our group—comprising journalists from Germany, Belarus, and Georgia, along with Ukrainian students—through the first day in the city of Lutsk, in western Ukraine.
At the editorial office of Volynska Gazeta, we gained insight into how journalists manage to continue their work under the most difficult conditions. Many members of the newsroom are currently working from exile—in Spain, the United States, or Portugal—reporting on local developments from abroad. At the same time, the independent newspaper is filled with articles from freelance journalists, some of whom still live in their homeland, a place that has been fundamentally transformed since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
This is also true for Volynska Gazeta’s editor-in-chief, Volodymyr Danyliuk. He is currently unable to work for the newspaper—he is serving in the military.
Throughout our conversation with the remaining editorial leaders, it became clear how essential regional print media are in times of war. They keep the general population informed—accessible and close to the people. They don’t want to leave the media landscape solely to the large national outlets. In this effort, they receive support from local authorities, such as the city council’s press team.
The press team also offered us a look into their daily work: through their website, they publish videos and news updates, keeping residents informed about how the ongoing war affects their everyday lifes.
Later that afternoon, we visited a tragic site connected to their work—a multi-story residential building rendered uninhabitable by a Russian missile strike. Two teenagers lost their lifes in the attack on June 6, 2025. Hundreds of people lost their homes and were temporarily relocated by the government.
The impact of such attacks on everyday life in Lutsk was noticeable. Shortly before midnight, as we arrived at our hotel, the air raid sirens began to wail—an unsettling reminder of the constant threat hanging over the city.
The people living here are determined to defend their homeland with all their strength. We felt this determination many times during our stay in Lutsk: during a visit to Okolny Castle, where the history of the Ukrainian people came up repeatedly; during a tour of Lubart Castle, as we viewed works by a local artist in the museum that are secured there; and finally, when we witnessed a street convoy accompanying a fallen soldier on his final journey.
