The award-winning foreign journalist believes it is important that the ongoing war is not forgotten. The situation in eastern Ukraine is very difficult.
10.6. 14:15 • Updated June 10th. 14:27
Antti Kuronen has been reporting on various war situations around the world for more than a decade. He was in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, when Russia invaded the country on 24 February.
According to Kuronen, the reaction of the rest of the world to the attack was exceptional.
– When I returned to Helsinki, it was amazing to see how people had Ukrainian flags in their houses and the town hall was also lit in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. I have never experienced anything like this on this scale, Kuronen says as a guest of the 8 minutes program.
Dangerous situations are often encountered at work, but risk levels have decreased with experience. Kuronen says that the most dangerous situations happened at the very beginning of his career, when there was more enthusiasm than sense.
Rockets are torturing civilians
Of the weapons used by Russia in Ukraine, Grad rocket launcher systems in particular pose a constant threat to civilians. When a projectile explodes, sharp fragments leave at bullet speed and can kill a person, for example, from a distance of 100 meters.
– The fragments can be large, 1–2 kg metal boulders, and Russia is constantly firing on civilian targets in eastern Ukraine. This makes people’s lives very difficult.
Kuronen presents a piece of metal he brought to the shots.
– It’s sharp like a knife.
European of the Year
The European Finland Association awarded Antti Kuronen the European of the Year award in May. The prize was awarded by chance on the same day as a nationally important victory day in Russia.
According to Kuronen, the Russian holiday represents the glorification of war and authoritarianism. Europeanness and Europe Day are the opposite, and that is why it felt particularly good to be recognized.
Kuronen considers it his task to make conflicts visible. The fates and stories of the people are felt deeply by a journalist who has seen a lot.
– If nothing feels anywhere, then I would stop this job right away.
After 8 minutes of filming, Antti Kuronen headed for packaging and is again reporting on the war in Ukraine.
See Arena: How does Antti Kuronen see the expansion of Russian hostilities in Ukraine that began in 2014?