How Ukraine's military media has transformed during the war
Over years of full-scale war, communications in Ukraine's armed forces have evolved from a formal press-service function into a key weapon that shapes recruitment, donations and international support. Third Army Corps communications officer Oleksandr Borodin describes the shift.
Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the work of military media has undergone a profound transformation, writes Oleksandr Borodin, senior communications officer of Ukraine's Third Army Corps, in a column for Ukrainska Pravda. While brigades once had just a few people handling public relations, media have now become one of the army's key tools, directly affecting combat capability.
Borodin, who documented the Kharkiv Maidan and the war in eastern Ukraine from 2014, later volunteered for the army and now helps build communications teams across several brigades and regiments. His goal is to create autonomous media teams capable of finding their own stories, working with journalists, and handling the full communication cycle — from filming to distributing content to English-speaking audiences.
Drone warfare blocks access to the infantry
While in 2022–2023 journalists could work much closer to infantry positions, they are no longer taken there, since enemy drones now pose the main danger on such trips. Journalists mostly work with drone crews, artillery units and signal troops now, meeting infantry only in rear areas. Every route is carefully planned, factoring in weather, threats and commanders' advice, to minimize risk as much as possible.
Working with certain Western media outlets is also challenging, the author notes, since some journalists reportedly try to draw soldiers into commenting on other countries' domestic politics or into statements discrediting political leadership — an approach considered unacceptable, since servicemembers should not take part in political discussions unrelated to their duty.
What isn't shown doesn't exist for the world
The author stresses that communications now serve three critical functions: recruitment, fundraising and sustaining international attention. For people in France, Germany or the United States, the war exists only insofar as it is covered in the media — otherwise the world gradually stops thinking about it, weakening understanding of why supporting Ukraine matters. Future priorities include developing autonomous media teams, systematic outreach to English-speaking audiences, and updating regulations that currently fail to reflect communicators' actual role.
