Popasna.City chief editor resigns from the UAF after being wounded

Yaroslav Nesterenko, chief editor of Popasna.City (a news outlet relocated from Luhansk oblast – Ed.), has resigned from the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after being severely wounded, the Prince Roman the Great mechanized brigade No. 14 reports on Facebook.

The brigade says that Yaroslav was wounded in Kharkiv oblast. The soldiers were filming a video report about Kupyansk and the brigade's fighters. At that moment, another shelling round began and Yaroslav Nesterenko was seriously wounded.

Yaroslav Nesterenko. Photo by the Prince Roman the Great mechanized brigade No. 14 on Facebook

“He was taken to the hospital with a camera in his hands. He had complex surgeries, treatment and rehabilitation ahead. His wife Alina was with him the whole time. And our comrade did not give up! Two months later, he texted us saying that he could work remotely,” the brigade said.

The military unit added that they have known Yaroslav since 2018. At that time, the brigade was on the defense in the Popasna area (Luhansk oblast). At that time, Yaroslav and the unit collaborated to produce content for his media outlets Popasnyanskyi Visnyk (printed newspaper – Ed.) and the news website Popasna.City.

The brigade also said that Yaroslav and his family were in Popasna when the full-scale invasion began. Despite the difficult situation, he reported on the developments, did volunteer work, supported the army, and helped evacuate locals.

Yaroslav left Popasna when the invaders came close to the city and settled in Cherkasy oblast together with his wife and son.

In a comment to the Institute of Mass Information representative Valentyna Troyan, Yaroslav Nesterenko said that the online media outlet Smila.City, which he founded after moving from Popasna to this Cherkasy oblast city, suspended operations when he enlisted while Popasna.City continues its work.

"I don't know what I am going to do yet," Yaroslav Nesterenko remarked.

As previously reported, Popasna.City and Smila.City chief editor Yaroslav Nesterenko enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in November 2023.

In his May 2022 interview with the IMI, Yaroslav Nesterenko said that he had left the city on March 8, upon realizing that he could not work there properly. Later, in August 2023, he said that in March 2022 his media outlet had run a crowdfunding campaign to hold funerals for the Popasna residents who were killed by Russian shelling.