According to journalists, Dmytro Pletenchuk was dismissed from the post of press officer due to a Facebook post on May 22 about the downing of a Russian SU-35 aircraft. The suspension caused outrage among Ukrainian journalists who worked with the officer. On briefing in the Ukraine-Odesa Media Center on May 23, journalists called for Pletenchuk to be reinstated.
As noted by fixer Artem Perfilov, Dmytro Pletenchuk was one of the few press officers with whom it was convenient and efficient to work.
"In our region, in the south, there are generally some special rules, and we are not always satisfied with the answers of the leadership of the operational command "South". - noted Perfilov.
According to journalist Bohdan Maksymets, Dmytro Pletenchuk tried to express not only the military actions, but also the war crimes of the Russians.
"Everyone remembers his photo with the Ukrainian flag against the background of the destroyed building of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration. This photo was taken by probably thousands of mass media... Dmytro could be called at any time and get the necessary information. The person worked as effectively as possible in his position." - added the journalist.
Freelancer Yuliya Himerik denied rumors that Dmytro Pletenchuk himself asked journalists to speak in his support.
"If he is released, the information front in the south will fail. He helped with contacts... Dmytro did everything to ensure that people received information from official sources, and not from Russian publications and Telegram channels."Chimerik noted.
Journalist Olena Rotari added that the position of journalists in support of Dmytro is also a demonstration of the need for the journalistic community to have access to operational and official information.
Olena Solomonova, journalist of Odesa Online, noted that she worked in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Odesa regions.
"In the south, communication with the mass media was not the best, but Dmytro worked very efficiently", the journalist added.
As noted Natalia Gumenyuk, head of the United Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, "Dmytro Pletenchuk's business trip has ended. He returned to full-time duties. Work with journalists in the Kherson region is organized by another press officer. The consequences are studied by an official inspection."
Fixers, journalists and local producers of the region wrote a letter of appeal in support of Dmytro Pletenchuk, which the team of Media Center Ukraine – Odesa posted, at the time of publication it was signed by 115 journalists and fixers.
You can join the appeal by here.
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