Panel discussion: Ukraine, inside their war
Date and time:
Thursday 1 October, 2026
19:00 - 20:30
Location:
Frontline Club
13 Norfolk Place
London
W2 1QJ
Join us as journalists from the Kyiv Independent discuss the coverage of their war.
Hear directly from Kyiv Independent reporters who will discuss the shifting dynamics of the front line: how are drone detectors are being used to prevent aerial attacks and should journalists should carry arms for personal protection?
The panel will provide an inside look at reporting amidst ongoing attacks and political changes within government.
Speaker
Toma Istomina
Toma Istomina is the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked for the Kyiv Post from 2017-2021, first as a staff writer, later taking editor roles. For co-founding the Kyiv Independent, Toma was selected as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe in 2022. She holds a master’s in international broadcasting from Taras Shevchenko University.
Speaker
Francis Farrell
Francis Farrell is a senior reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is the co-author of War Notes, the Kyiv Independent's weekly newsletter about the war. For the second year in a row, the Kyiv Independent received a grant from the Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust to support his front-line reporting for the year 2025-2026. Francis won the Prix Bayeux Calvados-Normandy for war correspondents in the young reporter category in 2023, and was nominated for the European Press Prize in 2024. Francis speaks Ukrainian and Hungarian and is an alumnus of Leiden University in The Hague and University College London. He has previously worked as a managing editor at the online media project Lossi 36, as a freelance journalist and documentary photographer, and at the OSCE and Council of Europe field missions in Albania and Ukraine.
Speaker
Olena Zashko
Olena Zashko is a videographer at the Kyiv Independent. She has previously worked as a videographer at the Suspilne Kultura documentary unit. The Kyiv Independent received a grant from the Charles Douglas-Home Memorial Trust to support Olena's front-line videography reporting for the year 2025-2026. She also has experience working as a journalist at Hromadske news outlet and has worked as a freelance journalist with different Ukrainian media. Olena has a master’s in journalism from the Ukrainian Catholic University.
Speaker
Francis Dearnley
Francis Dearnley is an Executive Editor at the Telegraph, overseeing several Audio projects including our award-winning podcast 'Ukraine: The Latest'. Prior to working as a journalist, he was Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Prime Minister’s Policy Board at the Houses of Parliament in London. His work offers a particular focus on how the past shines a light on the latest diplomatic, political, and strategic developments.
