She was one of the first on site in February 2022 and has been reporting from Ukraine again and again since then: ZDF reporter Katrin Eigendorf.
Shortly before the anniversary of the Russian attack, the 60-year-old is back in the war zone.
We can reach you by phone, the connection is perfect.
A conversation about Putin, the Ukrainians' chances of winning this war, about fear at work and a personal stroke of fate.
Ms. Eigendorf, would you have thought in February 2022 that this war would last so long?
Katrin Eigendorf:
I didn't ask myself that specific question back then.
But one could already imagine that this war will not end quickly.
Those who believed that Russia would win it quickly argued out of ignorance of the situation in Ukraine.
What do you mean?
Eigendorf:
It was always clear to me that this country would not let itself be overrun by Russia and that there would be bitter resistance from the Ukrainians to the attack.
After all, apart from the Baltic States, Ukraine is the country in the post-Soviet space that decoupled from Russia very early and most clearly.
That's why I was amazed and actually surprised that Russia attacked Ukraine in this form at all.
But even Putin simply misjudged the situation here in the country.
You were also a correspondent in Moscow. Have you ever met Putin personally?
Eigendorf:
No, I've only ever seen him at press conferences or public appearances, never personally in a 1:1 conversation.
However, the interviews I saw with him never achieved what I believe an interview should aim for: that I learn something, find out something about this person and their motivation.
Putin is a KGB man through and through, a master of manipulation.
The value of an interview is limited from the outset.
Of course, you can still get a picture of him.
At what point is the war in Ukraine?
Eigendorf:
I experience the country at the low point of this war.
We see that weapon support from the west is just too late.
That the army has its back against the wall.
In Bachmut, but not only there.
The anti-aircraft works pretty well, at least.
Nonetheless, we are witnessing the feared and expected Russian offensive.
And it's devastating.
If you believe the figures of the Ukrainian government, in the past few days we have had the highest number of casualties in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Do you have doubts about the accuracy of the information?
Eigendorf:
I am generally critical of all information on the number of victims, especially if they are too "positive".
In this case I have no doubts.
Because the number corresponds to the picture I get here on site and what I hear from the people I talk to, who work in the area of caring for injured soldiers or in the manufacture of prostheses.
The targeted attacks on critical infrastructure, on thermal power plants and electricity suppliers simply had an effect.
This situation wears people down.
Do you dare to make a prognosis? What will it look like in two or three months?
Eigendorf:
I assume that Ukraine will continue to experience significant, bitter losses in the foreseeable future.
There is simply a lack of resources here to withstand the attacks.
However, with the support of Western weapons and the training of Ukrainian soldiers on these weapons, I see a perspective for turning the situation around.
Of course, that also depends on what else the Russian side can mobilize.
your opinion on this?
Eigendorf:
Russia is superior to Ukraine in two ways: in terms of the number of weapons and the number of soldiers.
However, Russia is inferior in terms of the quality of technology and the morale of the combatants.
So, can Ukraine win this war?
Eigendorf:
Yes, in my opinion the Ukrainians will win this war - but it has to be done quickly.
This country cannot recruit soldiers in numbers like Russia can.
That means that Ukraine cannot hold out for too long.
She really has to win this war this year.
How are you personally? How scared are you at work?
Eigendorf:
Fear is not a good advisor.
I respect the danger.
And there have also been situations in which I thought: Wow, this is going to be really dangerous.
But my team and I have a lot of experience and are familiar enough to know what we're doing.
Above all, you have to keep a clear head and not run into the fire.
How difficult is the balancing act: on the one hand, you want to be close. On the other hand, ZDF does not want to and must not risk your life and limb.
Eigendorf:
I don't make decisions on my own.
We decide everything as a team.
On the one hand with my colleagues here on site.
If someone has concerns, we don't drive.
On the other hand, we are always in close coordination with the editor-in-chief in Mainz.
The last word is there.
Has the pressure increased given the competition from “Bild”, for example? To put it bluntly, Paul Ronzheimer goes everywhere.
Eigendorf:
I don't see the "Bild" newspaper as our competition.
Of course, Paul Ronzheimer can be much more agile because he works in a very small team of three people and I think he is more free and independent in his decisions.
I work for a huge public broadcaster.
That's a difference.
Does ZDF support you in processing what you have experienced?
Eigendorf:
ZDF offers that, yes.
Any reporter who is exposed to traumatic experiences - and this does not only apply to war correspondents - can take advantage of the offer.
There is also psychological support.
But I haven't used that yet.
I didn't need it yet.
You're made of something special, aren't you?
Eigendorf:
Yes, maybe.
Of course, that also affects you when you report from a war zone.
I think everyone has their own way of dealing with things.
Doctors who treat children with cancer also see an incredible amount of suffering.
My attitude is: It's part of life.
You mustn't and can't evade it, you have to look at it.
I see my task as transporting life in Ukraine as it is at the moment.
And one thing shouldn't be forgotten: unlike the people there, I can go home, to my country, in safety, and ensure my good work-life balance.
A good family, friends, a functioning network of human relationships is of course very important.
That carries me all the time.
You yourself suffered a stroke of fate when your son, who was born seriously ill, died at the age of 17. Does this experience also have something to do with the fact that you give people a face and voice who are otherwise not seen and heard?
Eigendorf:
My son has shaped my life a lot, yes.
Because he couldn't speak himself, he probably trained me to have antennae for other people.
It also grounded me a bit.
Today we live in a context where everyone wants to optimize their life.
As if happiness lies in optimization!
It's more about doing things that make sense.
And what I'm doing here makes sense to me.
The interview was conducted by Stefanie Thyssen.
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In conversation with the President: Katrin Eigendorf and Volodymyr Zelenskyj in his office.
© Katrin Eigendorf
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A selfie with the mayor: the reporter with Vitali Klitschko in Kiev.
© Katrin Eigendorf
