Maksym Oseredchuk, known to his colleagues as Max, was killed by a Russian drone strike on Wednesday night. He was 30 years old. He is survived by his wife, Kateryna, and his baby daughter, Maria.
Oseredchuk was born on November 4, 1995, in Vuhledar, a city in Ukraine's Donetsk region. That city was almost entirely destroyed and has been occupied by Russia since early 2023. The family's apartment there was also destroyed as Russia seized the city.
According to ABC News, Oseredchuk spent several years working in business as a logistics manager after earning a master's degree in business economics from the University of Vinnytsia. Shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he began working with ABC News in Kyiv. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Sasha, who also works as a driver for international media.
Over several years, Oseredchuk drove ABC News teams across Ukraine, including to frontline areas in the dangerous eastern part of the country. He was credited with keeping crews safe while navigating some of the most hazardous terrain of the war. His knowledge of roads in eastern Ukraine, combined with what colleagues described as a calm demeanor, dry wit, and sense of humor, made him an essential part of reporting assignments.
After leaving ABC News, Oseredchuk worked for the New York Times as a driver and fixer, again often in frontline areas. Several months ago, he was drafted into Ukraine's military and assigned to the 34th Marine Brigade.
At the time of his draft, he told an ABC colleague, "if this is what fate has brought, I will defend my country and my daughter."
Even after joining the military, Oseredchuk stayed in contact with former colleagues. He would share his own stories and ask after friends who were deployed around the country.
Oseredchuk was one of a number of journalists and media workers who have moved between reporting on the war and serving in Ukraine's armed forces since Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than four years ago. He had spent years helping international journalists document the conflict from the ground, often traveling to parts of Ukraine that few reporters could reach without experienced local guides.
ABC News described him as someone who went above and beyond after long journeys, with little sleep, helping teams reach their destinations in good spirits, even as his own family suffered through the war.
He was 30 years old at the time of his death.
