Ukrainian journalist Maks Levin and his companion and friend, soldier Oleksi Chernychov, were “probably coldly executed” by the Russians, says Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in an investigative report, published on Wednesday 22 June. According to the organization, the two men, found dead on 1er April, in a forest located on the front line, north of kyiv, were shot “after being probably interrogated and tortured by Russian forces on the day of their disappearance”March 13, 2022.
Maks Levin, a seasoned 40-year-old journalist, was not leading “no military activity” and was dressed in civilian clothes, says RSF, which investigated in Ukraine, from May 24 to June 3. However, he wore a blue armband, similar to those worn by Ukrainian soldiers. “Journalists on the front line had to wear this armband, in order to be identified as a ‘friendly presence’ by Ukrainian soldiers”, explains the NGO. The journalist’s closeness to some soldiers dates back to 2014, when he was covering the Donbass war.
The report also confirms that “Maks Levin was able to provide elements captured by his drone, in particular on the presence of Russian positions, to the Ukrainian forces”with whom he was on the front line, but “the use of his drone was first and foremost part of a journalistic approach”, is added. Mid-March, the Russians had not yet given up their offensive on kyiv. Fighting raged north of the capital. Maks Levin covered the Russian invasion by selling his photos and images taken with his drone to the press, including Reuters. According to the first testimonies collected by RSF, he was also looking for his camera when he was killed. At the start of the Russian offensive, launched on February 24, the reporter also worked for several days as a fixer for the photographer and war reporter Patrick Chauvel, with whom RSF conducted the investigation.
Material evidence
According to a press release from the local public prosecutor’s office in Vychhorod (kyiv region), published on 2 April, the journalist was the victim of two small arms bullets fired by Russian soldiers. “Observations made from photos of Maks Levin’s body and the discovery of a bullet embedded 15 centimeters into the ground, in the exact location where he was found, indicate that he was probably shot by a two bullets fired at close range, when he was already on the ground”says RSF, which studied the crime scene. “Certain elements, and in particular the position of Oleksi Chernychov’s body, could indicate that he was burned alive”adds the organization.
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