The Fleming Arnaud De Decker is a freelance journalist currently working in Ukraine. Earlier this week he came under fire from Russian artillery near to the city of Bakhmut in the East of the country. For many months Russian forces have being to take Bakhmut and journalists aren’t normally allowed into the area. Nevertheless, Arnaud De Decker went there earlier this week.
Belgian journalist comes under artillery fire in Ukraine: “Everything went black”
Published:
While he was interviewing a Ukrainian soldier the Fleming came under artillery fire and was forced to beat a hasty retreat. In an interview with VRT Radio 1’s morning news and current affairs programme ‘De Ochtend’ Arnaud De Decker told how a bomb landed just 10 metres away from him.
Bakhmut has been the scene of heavy fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces for several months now. The area is a so-called “Red Zone” for journalists which means that they normally are not allowed into the area. Nevertheless, Arnaud De Decker, who has been in Ukraine for some time, has good contacts both among the local population and the Ukrainian army.
He told VRT News that "This week special units from the Ukrainian army’s 92nd division took me to the front. We travelled in an armoured vehicle to the trenches 1.5km from the Russian positions.
The journalist and a 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier went a little closer to the front. They took cover in the ruins of a building around 500 metres from the Russians. “You could hear the bullets flying around”. However, it didn’t stop there as while he was interviewing the soldier they came under fire from Russian artillery.
"I has asked the soldier a couple of questions about the counter offensive in Bakhmut that had been announced when suddenly a mortar shell landed closed to us. The soldier was able to laugh about it. But then a second mortar shell landed about 10 metres from us. Everything went black and for a moment I couldn’t hear or see anything”.
But was it really necessary for a journalist to put himself in so much danger by visiting an area close to the front that is normally out of bounds? Arnaud De Decker believes that it was.
"I am in Ukraine to tell the story of the impact on civilians, but also to tell the soldiers’ story. Tens of thousands of soldiers go to the front every day and many of them die. As a journalist I want to be able to report what is happening there and I have noticed that they are pleased that someone dares to report this kind of story”.
“Bakhmut will fall, but not just yet”
The Russian army has been trying to take Bakhmut for several months now. Arnaud De Decker describes the situation in the besieged city.
"Russian troops have been trying for months to completely encirle the city. However, strong resistance from the Ukrainian army has meant that they have been unable to do so”.
The Russians are now trying to gain ground with an attack through the centre of the city and they are gaining ground each day. Backmut will fall, but the Ukrainian army is trying to give a little ground as possible and to win time until they are ready to mount a counter offensive”.
Arnaud De Decker says that the Ukrainians are waiting until the weather improves an for the delivery of heavier weapons and vehicles before they mount their counter offensive.