Hunted By Russian Authorities, RFE/RL Journalist Reported Undercover In Russia-Occupied Crimea

Former RFE/RL journalist Artem Lysak secretly reported from Russian-occupied Crimea between 2016 and 2020 for RFE/RL’s Crimea.Realities. Operating under a pseudonym and using a fake identity as a travel blogger, he risked arrest, imprisonment, and even his life to uncover and report on the realities of life under occupation. He erased all traces of his true identity, moved constantly to avoid detection, and kept his missions hidden from even his closest family and friends.

Despite the dangers, Artem made around 30 trips to the peninsula, narrowly escaping detention twice. In one case, he was interrogated by the FSB, forced to record a fake confession, and miraculously released. In another, he faced legal threats and surveillance that pushed him to flee before a potential trial.

📌 Video Chapters

0:00 - Exclusive Interview: Reporting Undercover In Russia-Occupied Crimea
2:00 - Creating A Cover Story To Enter Crimea
4:00 - "I Always Felt Like Somebody's Watching Me"
5:50 - First Encounter With Russian FSB
7:40 - Why Did The FSB Let Artem Go?
8:57 - “I Thought, Never Again”
9:15 - Second FSB Detention In Occupied Crimea
10:00 - 50/50: Trial Or Escape?
12:01 - How Does Artem’s Story End?


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