I think in general, probably not just like in Lithuania, But especially with your experience, I'm wondering from what you've seen, how the fighting is there, how people are there, right, what the people are thinking, then what is your understanding? The most important question would be like, what's your understanding how this war can end with the knowledge that you have, you know, with the perspective that you had a glimpse into through your reporting?

The fact is that I arrived to Donetsk, so the main city in eastern Ukraine, already under Russian control since 2014.

I arrived there on February 18th, 2022, so a couple of days before the Russian official invaded the entire Ukraine.

And the day after my arrival, the Kremlin order to close the borders of this region, avoiding other journalists or witnesses to come in, you know? So I could go out, but if I would go, I couldn't come back.

So this put me in a unique situation also, not also as a journalist, but as a witness, because I immediately realized, once there, i'm witnessing an historical moment you know it's my duty to be here it's my interest to be here it's my passion to be here so i just stayed and i stayed around seven months and it was my first time there so i was not like very uh familiar with the area although i had studied it you know but It's not the same thing, being on the ground, and especially when a war is starting, especially this war, everything was changing very quickly.

So, like, I just jumped into this world, this war, and I stayed.

And everything was very chaotic at the beginning.

could

Can you give me an example of what your work would look like then? Was that like going interviewing different groups of people? You first identify who you would like to speak to or...

There, in the Donbas region, everything is very unique, I would say.

First of all, because you are in a region where you don't have other Western journalists.

And the other journalists you have are either, let's say, not real journalists, but more Telegram activists supporting Russia and being there to fight for Russia, not with weapons, but with communication.

Or journalists affiliated, like working for media, affiliated to the Kremlin.

Which doesn't mean that there can be very good individuals, you know.

But you know that especially when it comes to this topic, Russia-Ukraine, you know, they...

And my question for you is, has anything because of your experience, like this story and your vast experience reporting on wars changed? Has it changed in a way or expanded your understanding about the very nature of war or the motivations maybe, the behaviors of those involved? Also anything that maybe 10 years ago you thought differently and now your experience, there may be more nuances.