Zaborona is one of dozens of small news outlets defying the odds to carry on reporting as Russian attacks continue
Roman Stepanovych is no stranger to war. In an award-winning career for English-language news outlets including the Associated Press and Vice News, the 32-year-old Ukrainian journalist has reported from Syria, Chechnya and Myanmar, as well as covering the conflict closer to home in the Donbas region.
In the 12 days since Russia invaded, however, he has been dealing with an entirely new reality. It is not just his own safety on the line anymore: his children, parents, friends and Zaborona, the independent news website he and his wife founded in 2017, are at risk too.