Press Release
☷RFE RL mourns death of Ukrainian Service journalist Vira Hyrych in Russian air strike in Kyiv
Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty ( By Press Release office)
May 01,2022
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RFE/RL mourns death of Ukrainian Service journalist Vira Hyrych in Russian air strike in KyivApril 29 , 2022Washington , D . C . — RFE/RL mourns the death of Ukrainian Service journalist Vira Hyrych , who died in Kyiv after a Russian air strike hit the residential building where she lived in the Ukrainian capital . Hyrych’s body was found early in the morning on April 29 amid the wreckage of the building , which was hit by a Russian missile the night before , RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service said . “We are deeply saddened by the death of our Ukrainian Service staffer Vira Hyrych in Kyiv overnight . We have lost a dear colleague who will be remembered for her professionalism and dedication to our mission , ” said RFE/RL President Jamie Fly . “We are shocked and angered by the senseless nature of her death at home in a country and city she loved . Her memory will inspire our work in Ukraine and beyond for years to come , ” he added . Said Ukrainian Service director Maryana Drach of her colleague , “It is very difficult to realize that Vira is not here , it takes your breath away . We met every morning to coordinate the work of our correspondents , review coverage , seek out exclusive angles on the news . Vira was not only a professional , but also a person with a good heart: she helped RFE/RL Afghan Service journalists who flew to Kyiv in the summer to escape Taliban repression . Vira was very worried about her parents , who lived for almost a month under Russian occupation in the Kyiv region without electricity , water , or gas . Vira dreamed of planting a cypress in the residential complex where she recently moved to Kyiv . Now we must do it . ”UN Secretary - General Antonio Guterres was visiting Kyiv on April 28 as air strikes hit the capital , including the apartment block . Videos and pictures from the site showed the lower floors of the building heavily damaged . Cars in the area had their windows blown out . President Volodymyr Zelenskiy , who met with Guterres in Kyiv barely an hour earlier , has condemned the air strikes and called for a “corresponding powerful reaction . ”Hyrych , born in 1967 , began working for RFE/RL in February 2018 . Before joining RFE/RL , she worked at a leading television channel in Ukraine . Hyrych is survived by her parents and an adult son . About RFE/RLRadio Free Europe / Radio Liberty is a private , independent international news organization whose programs — radio , Internet , television , and mobile — reach influential audiences in 23 countries , including Russia , Ukraine , Iran , Afghanistan , Pakistan , the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus . It is funded by the U . S . Congress through USAGM .
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