Illia Ponomarenko
Illia Ponomarenko | |
|---|---|
Ілля Пономаренко | |
| Born | Illia Oleksandrovych Ponomarenko 25 February 1992[1] Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine |
| Education | Mariupol State University |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Website | https://kyivindependent.com/author/illia-ponomarenko |
Illia Oleksandrovych Ponomarenko (Ukrainian: Ілля Олександрович Пономаренко; born 25 February 1992) is a Ukrainian journalist, war reporter and defense analyst who worked for The Kyiv Independent from 2021 to 2023, covering the Russo-Ukrainian war. In January 2023, given his prominent role in reporting from the conflict, he was described by Der Spiegel as "likely the best-known Ukrainian after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy".[2]
Early life
Ponomarenko was born in 1992.[3] He grew up in Volnovakha, and studied at Mariupol State University.[2] He has stated he was studying international relations in Mariupol when the city was occupied in 2014 by Russian-backed forces.[4]
Career
Ponomarenko began reporting on the clashes of the war in Donbas for BBC Radio.[4] He previously wrote for the Kyiv Post, but following the abrupt reformatting and temporary closure of the Kyiv Post in November 2021, Ponomarenko was among the team of journalists who founded The Kyiv Independent.[5]
Shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ponomarenko saw his Twitter following soar to over one million, as many sought on-the-ground information in the early days of the invasion; Der Spiegel wrote that "for people worldwide, he became the most important chronicler of the war during this period".[2] Since then, he has been regularly cited in international media, as well as writing translated opinion pieces, such as for Norwegian Aftenposten.[6]
On 18 November 2024, Bloomsbury Publishing published his book on the Battle of Kyiv, I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv.[7]
References
- ↑ Ponomarenko, Illia [@IAPonomarenko] (30 January 2023). "Ah, I see a mistake! I was born in 1992, not 1982" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- 1 2 3 Schröder, Thore (5 September 2022). "Fighting on the Twitter Front in Ukraine". Der Spiegel. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ↑ Nordlinger, Jay (14 May 2024). "A Ukrainian on Ukraine". Q & A (Podcast). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
- 1 2 Kauppinen, Ina (9 June 2022). "Kuuluisa ukrainalaistoimittaja ylisti yhtäkkiä Suomea Twitterissä – kertoo nyt, miksi". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ↑ D'Agostino, Susan (28 April 2022). "Illia Ponomarenko: Ukraine's most-followed war journalist is a "dude" from Donbas". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ↑ Ponomarenko, Illia (9 June 2022). "Arbeidet mitt er blitt min egen personlige tragedie". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). Translated by Hellum, Bjørg. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
- ↑ "I Will Show You How It Was: The Story of Wartime Kyiv: Illia Ponomarenko". Bloomsbury Publishing. Archived from the original on 31 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2026.