Ukrainian Journalists Learn How to Report During a Drone Attack, Through a Program Supported by The Globe and Mail Foundation

The Globe and Mail Foundation and a local service provider, Ukraine’s 2402 Foundation (Daily Humanity), help protect journalists in Ukraine with unique new training focused on international best practices and operating in hostile environments.

KYIV, Ukraine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the weekend of December 6th, 2025, The Globe and Mail Foundation was proud to support the first of a series of training workshops for Ukrainian journalists, who have frequently been operating near a shifting frontline in Eastern Ukraine.

Journalists have, for almost four years, been reporting from battlefield situations since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Recently, the threat from drones has increased through shifting tactics and fast-evolving technology.

The Globe and Mail Foundation launched in fall 2025 with a mission to protect and promote excellence in journalism through a range of educational and training initiatives in Canada and abroad which promote media literacy and support high-quality training for journalists.

Working with Ukraine’s 2402 Foundation (Daily Humanity) and Globe and Mail Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon, The Globe and Mail Foundation provided its first training course focused on drone safety for Ukrainian journalists and media support staff in the region in December 2025. More sessions are planned for January and April 2026. This is the first publicly available drone-attack response training of its kind for reporters and journalists working in Ukraine.

“The Globe and Mail Foundation is proud to support this innovative training for independent journalists and media professionals in Ukraine. We want to protect the reporters who risk their lives daily to keep citizens informed, regionally and globally,” said Laura Lavie, Executive Director, The Globe and Mail Foundation. “It is critical that we step in to support journalists working against all odds in one of the most complex and challenging war zones in recent times.”

“The drone training is a completely unique and desperately needed program, one that we put our own Ukraine team through as soon as we could,” said Mark MacKinnon, who has been reporting from Ukraine for more than two decades. “The entire effort is something that I’m proud I could be a part of.”

In December, twenty-seven Ukrainian journalists took part in workshops on operating in hostile environments with drones, focusing on risk-assessment and safety, as well as critical first aid. The journalists also received training on international media best practices, including coordinating effectively with news editors from overseas to ensure a robust flow of information from the region.

The session opened with a video message sent from Natalka Cmoc, Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, who was in Canada on that day, with the ambassador stressing the value to the global community of reliable facts being reported from the conflict by skilled journalists.

“I am very happy that The Globe and Mail Foundation and Mark MacKinnon are there to provide this very important HEFAT (Hostile Environment and First Aid Training) and drone safety workshops,” Ambassador Cmoc stated. “I want to thank you for what it is that you do. It is very important, and we want to make sure that you are as safe as possible.”

Photographer Ira Lupu said the training session was a “priceless experience,” while Olena Sokolan, a correspondent for Ukraine’s Channel 5, called it an “incredible course,” and an “opportunity to practice scenarios in realistic conditions.”

The training initiative grew out of local demand for safety instruction particularly on responding during drone attacks and support in an increasingly complex warfare environment, as well as a desire by Ukrainian journalists to work more closely with news media organizations overseas.

“This vital training program in Ukraine was enabled by individual donors who support the foundation and its valuable initiatives helping to safeguard our journalism community,” said Phillip Crawley, Board Chair, The Globe and Mail Foundation.

“Ukraine is now in the center of the most technologically-advanced conflict we’ve ever seen. Locals are facing extreme threats: from very fast and dangerous drones, to missiles and guided aerial bombs,” said Kateryna Sergatskova, Executive Director of 2402 Foundation (Daily Humanity). “Our mission is to ensure that journalists working to bring the truth about the war to the world can operate safely and be aware of the risks they take.”

Special thanks to Mark MacKinnon and 2402 Foundation (Daily Humanity) for working with The Globe and Mail Foundation to facilitate the training for these brave journalists working to continually provide vital information and analysis from this dangerous region out to the world.

While this work is necessary to protect journalists and promote the work that they do in times of conflict, our hope is that one day the region will enjoy stability and security.

To view more photographs from the training session and learn about programs and events from The Globe and Mail Foundation, please visit the website and sign up for newsletter to receive updates:

globeandmailfoundation.com

About / The Globe and Mail Foundation

The Globe and Mail Foundation is a Canadian charity dedicated to protecting and promoting excellence in journalism.

With an educational mandate, the foundation delivers programming that enhances media literacy, deepens Canadians' knowledge and understanding of issues of the day, and supports high quality training for journalists.

Ensuring access to clear-eyed, fact-checked information is critical to the health of our society, and to democracy at large.

The Globe and Mail Foundation is proud to support the media ecosystem in Canada and abroad, and contribute to a future in which journalism thrives.

Please visit our website and sign up for our newsletter to receive further announcements:

globeandmailfoundation.com