Dariia Mykhailenko
News Writer
Dariia Mykhailenko is a news writer for UNITED24 Media covering political issues and culture. Currently she is studying Journalism at Kyiv Aviation Institute (former National Aviation University). Born in Kyiv.
Articles
![Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with press on December 23, 2025. (Source: Office of the President)]( "Zelenskyy: Ukraine Demands Fixed EU Entry Year—2027 or 2028–to Cement Security Guarantees")
![Still from the film “2000 Meters to Andriivka.” (Source: Stockholm Film Festival)]( "“2000 Meters to Andriivka” by Ukraine’s Mstyslav Chernov Ranks Second on The Guardian’s Best Films List")
![Armenian police officers secure the cordoned-off area following an armed bank robbery attempt in an HSBC bank branch in Yerevan on May 3, 2018. (Source: Getty Images)]( "Banks in Central Asia and Balkans Tighten Controls on Russian Transactions")
![He Came to Russia From Iran to Take Photos. Then He Was Sent to Fight in Ukraine]( "He Came to Russia From Iran to Take Photos. Then He Was Sent to Fight in Ukraine")
- Author
![Photo of Mykyta Ilchenko]( "Photo of Mykyta Ilchenko")
- Category
- War in Ukraine
Arash Darbandi, a 34-year-old photographer from Ahvaz in southern Iran, came to Russia in search of work and never imagined he would become part of a war. In an interview with UNITED24 Media, he describes how an ordinary attempt to earn a living spiraled into coercion, detention, and ultimately forced conscription into the Russian army.![Soldiers of the Polish army carry barbed wire as they construct a barrier on Poland's- Russian exclave Kaliningrad border on November 5, 2022 in Wisztyniec, Poland. (Source: Getty Images)]( "Poland Begins Anti-Drone Installation on Belarus Border to Counter Hybrid Threats")
![Veterans of the Russian special forces lay flowers at a monument to Russian military special forces servicemen as they mark their professional day in Saint Petersburg on October 24, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)]( "Russia Loses Over 400,000 Troops in Two Years, UK Says—Minority and Remote Regions Hit Hardest")
-f561b4d4e04ef389e7d930d2663da57a.png "He Came to Russia From Iran to Take Photos. Then He Was Sent to Fight in Ukraine")
