Guto Pasko and Brazilian journalists witness sites of Russian terror

Brazilian journalists and editors visited Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions as part of the In Solidarity With Ukraine program, PEN Ukraine reported. The delegation included Ukrainian-born director, screenwriter, and producer Guto Pasko, as well as journalist and editor Flávia Tavares and journalist Sérgio Utsch.

The delegation directly observed evidence of alleged Russian war crimes, such as mass graves of individuals slain by occupying forces in a forest near Izium, located in the Kharkiv Region. They also inspected a school basement in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv Region, where 368 civilians were detained under inhumane conditions by occupiers in March 2022. Additionally, their visit included tours of Bucha and Irpin.

“This was very striking for me, as we cannot truly grasp the scale of the war unless we see it firsthand. Our perception of the war is often shaped by the news, which can be distorted, and what’s posted online, where misinformation is rampant. Being here was profoundly sad and challenging, yet absolutely essential,” Guto Pasko said in an interview with the Ukrainian World Congress.

Guto Pasko shared that he plans to create a documentary film about his visit to Ukraine. “I was able to understand the scale of the suffering of the Ukrainian people, and this is what I plan to bring to Brazil, this experience that I hope to share. I will write an article for some newspapers because I have this responsibility. I will spread this information on television channels in Brazil. From all the material I recorded, I will create a documentary film with a personal perspective on this situation. I even have a working title – ‘Ukraine,’” said the director.

“I am a Brazilian with a Ukrainian soul and Ukrainian blood, and I feel Ukrainian at heart. Here I also felt the pain of the Ukrainian people, which gave me an even greater sense of belonging, the same feeling I already had as a Ukrainian – a sense of belonging to the people, ethnic identity, knowledge of the language, cultural identity,” Guto Pasko added.

Putin must be held accountable for his actions, the director is convinced. “It is clearly a war crime. And Putin, along with the entire Russian people and military, must be held accountable,” Guto Pasko emphasized.