Journalist From Kherson Attacked in Kyiv

On Dec. 21, Kostyantyn Ryzhenko reported in his Telegram channel that an attempt was made on his life in Kyiv. An unknown person shot him twice in the chest but a bulletproof vest saved him. The Security Service of Ukraine is investigating the case.

According to Ryzhenko, the attempt happened in the evening on Dec. 20 when he was going by subway to the training ground where he trains with his friends from the security forces.

"In the darkest corner of the street near the intersection near a pharmacy, a man quickly approached me and fired two shots into my chest. After that, I fell, and the man quickly ran toward Ovrutska street."

The journalist said he was too lazy to carry the armored vest in his hands and put it on; It was good quality and saved his life.

Ryzhenko associated this attempt with his professional activity. "Most likely, there is a Russian connection here," he said.

Ryzhenko is the editor-in-chief of the Kherson news site Kherson Newscity. During the occupation of Kherson, he was engaged in volunteer activities and actively cooperated with the local resistance movement.

In March, when Kherson was under occupation, Ryzhenko became a partisan and cooperated with the security service. His primary tasks were to collect, analyze and visualize data on where the Russians were deployed, where they were moving, and where air defense systems and other priority Armed Forces targets were located. He and his group passed this information to Ukraine's secret services and defense intelligence. His group of partisans also helped to track down collaborators.

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In order to avoid persecution by Russian special services, which tried to find and detain the journalist, Ryzhenko evacuated undercover from the then-occupied city to the territory of Ukraine controlled by Ukrainian armed forces several months ago.