Mike Tobin covered six wars. However, the horrors occurring in Ukraine are very different.
Tobin has been living in Ukraine since February 23, the day before Russia invaded. In a recent phone interview between assignments, Tobin said what makes Russia’s assault on Ukraine so horrific is that civilians are often targeted and the resulting refugee crisis is spinning out of control.
“I have never seen so much indiscriminate fire, then so much in the way of civilian casualties,”Tobin said. “When you’re talking about Kharkiv, when you’re talking about Mariupol, they have just pounded everything in that town. The mayor of Mariupol says 80 to 90% of the housing has been destroyed. And so there are going to be people in there.”
Tobin was recently killed by two of his fighting colleagues, Pierre Zakrzewski from Fox News, and Oleksandra, a Ukrainian journalist. Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha”Kuvshynova was also among the victims. Kuvshynova, 24, was a consultant to the cable news network.
Tobin explained that Zakrzewski had been killed and that a Fox News security team was tasked with confirming his death.
“There were members of our security team who took a lot of risks to go to Kyiv and confirm that Pierre was dead and secure his dignity. I want people to know how grateful to them I am for that. Also, the Save Our Allies organization who helped rescue [Fox reporter] Benjamin Hall are special people,”Tobin added.
While the Fox News journalists on the ground are risking their lives to bring viewers the truth about what’s happening, some of the network’s hosts, including Tucker Carlson, face constant criticism from people saying he is acting as a shill for Russia. Tobin, despite Carlson’s repeated comments about the ex-Soviet Union being headlined, has been vocal in his criticism of Putin and pointed out that the Russian despot ordered the invasion of Ukraine under false pretenses.
“It was so dishonest, but he didn’t even tell his own troops that they were going in. Part of that was to prevent leaks. The other part is because it’s an immoral war,”Tobin added. “We’ve seen from the interviews with the prisoners of war, and from some of the texts that have been intercepted with guys sending messages home to their mothers, they thought they were part of an operation, or just an exercise, and now they’re part of an invasion and they’re killing civilians in droves.”
Below is more of ’s interview with Mike Tobin on what he has been witnessing in Ukraine.
: What has changed in Ukraine since your arrival?
Mike TobinAs the war progresses, you see the horrors of civilian casualties in places such as Mariupol or Kharkiv. [the Ukrainian’s] resolve has hardened and accepted that they’re in this for the long haul, that it’s going to get worse. But they’re not going to give up Ukraine, it’s their home.
In speaking with the residents, what are some of the most harrowing stories you’ve heard?
You will usually find these people trapped in the basement for several days. They grab whatever they can before the incoming fire ceases. One woman I met at the train station had a backpack. I asked what it contained. She said she didn’t know. She grabbed whatever she could and ran to get out of her way. And I said, ‘What are you going to do?’ And she didn’t have a plan. She was just running from the fire, and she got out. I’ve talked with refugees who were from Kharkiv and they were Russian speakers. They were friendly to Russians. Their heads were in train wreck, as Vladimir Putin declared that this war was imminent. ‘liberating’They are: [Russians]They came in and started killing everyone. And it’s traumatic, and there’s so much dishonesty involved in it.
Are there any messages residents want you to send when you talk with them? What do you think, the West is better?
The Ukrainians are very open about what they hear. ‘close the sky,’This means they want the no fly area. The message has come back from Western leaders that they’re not going to do that because that would involve putting U.S. pilots in the sky, or NATO pilots in the sky ultimately, against Russian pilots. This could lead to world war 3. So says the West ‘we’re not gonna implement a no fly zone.’ So they’ve kind of altered the request to air defenses. Things like the Patriot missile system or Israel’s Iron Dome … something that could intercept aircraft.
Given the amount of shelling that is going on, what can you do as a journalist to remain safe? And where are your other journalists staying?
We’re staying in different hotels and with different organizations. I’m pretty close to the Polish border, 40 miles from the Polish border. And the war is, the ground war anyway, is to the east… most of it is to the east of the country in terms of ground forces in terms of indiscriminate rocket fire and artillery.
How can you remain focused in a world filled with horror and trauma?
We do. There’s a gear you get into and just try to shoot for the backbone of a story, and don’t get emotional about it. There’s a lot to get emotional about, and part of it is that we’re just so busy. We’re just trying to get to the next deadline, then the next live shot making sure that we’re accurate. That’s job number one. I guess at some point when this is over, I’ll deal with my emotions.
This interview was edited and condensed to ensure clarity and consistency.
