Throughout Robert Klemko’s first journey to Ukraine throughout highschool, his cousins joked that their largest concern was that he and his dad can be kidnapped for being wealthy Individuals.

Practically 20 years later, Klemko ’10 is again—and this time he faces real hazard. He’s chronicling the price of struggle in his father’s homeland, carrying a bulletproof vest, helmet and press credentials from The Washington Publish. The previous NFL author is wrapping up a month of reporting, protecting the cautious cataloging of struggle crimes by Ukrainian prosecutors; the ingenuity of filmmakers and artists who’ve pivoted to sourcing navy provides; and foreigners looking for to affix the Ukrainian forces.

Klemko talked to Maryland Immediately about why he volunteered for the project overseas, his emotional return to the nation and why his Terp beanie stayed behind in Ukraine.

Struggle isn’t your ordinary beat, which is now policing and felony justice reform after you spent seven years protecting sports activities. Why did you go to Ukraine?
It’s such an infinite story. The Publish realized a whole lot of international correspondents wanted a break. They requested for volunteers from the newsroom. Being half Ukrainian and having at all times wished to cowl a struggle, I felt like if I used to be ever going to do it, I wanted to do it now. The toughest factor is that my son is simply 10 months previous, so that you’re lacking quite a bit while you miss a month at that age.

Once I determined to volunteer, I assumed quite a bit about my dad. He took me to Poltava after I was 16 years previous, the place now we have cousins. I had essentially the most wonderful expertise and recollections. Once I got here again this time, all of the smells hit me as quickly as I rolled the window down. Burning piles of sticks within the countryside. The wonderful meals. It’s actually emotional being again right here 18 years later.

What has the expertise been like?
I don’t have a whole lot of expertise as a struggle correspondent, so that they stored me in Lviv for a pair weeks to get my bearings. And now that I’m in Kyiv, the entrance has moved additional east. I really feel on the sidelines, however I’m not complaining—I didn’t come to see folks change gunfire. I got here to put in writing about on a regular basis folks whose lives are embroiled on this struggle.

Numerous tales we find yourself doing are the concepts of our producers. They’ve a complete totally different perspective. They usually function our translator and driver, or presumably as a photographer or videographer. Overseas journalists are solely nearly as good as their fixers.

My newest piece is concerning the coroner in Kyiv, whose job is simply to course of this onslaught of useless our bodies. It was actually tough—I wished to have the ability to describe all the things he does. They let me into the room the place the our bodies are. It was only a nightmare. I attempt to describe it, however you’ll be able to’t do it justice. It’s simply one thing you need to see.

What are a few of the largest challenges?
Logistics. You’re consistently determining journey, and which producers can be found and what they’ll do. Getting approval from safety advisors in London. Ensuring you’re in a lodge with a bomb shelter on the identical avenue. Ensuring you’ve gotten a package for a chemical weapon assault, physique armor and a helmet. It complicates the job since you wish to spend all of it on storytelling. That’s why folks get burnt out. It’s a whole lot of stuff we’re not specialists at.

A few of our most intricate interactions are with troopers at checkpoints. There’s a continuing menace right here, or perceived menace, that there are Russian infiltrators in Ukraine. They will look and sound like Ukrainians, which is why there’s been this motion right here to eradicate the Russian language in wartime. They scrutinize folks figuring out themselves as press, as a result of they concern it might be used as a canopy. With a press sticker on our automotive, we at all times get stopped as a result of they wish to verify our paperwork and listen to me converse English.