(15 May 2025)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Basel, Switzerland – 15 May 2025
1. Ukraine representative for Eurovision, Ziferblat, posing for photos with fans
2. Wide of Ukrainian event
3. Ziferblat eating Ukrainian food
4. Ukrainian flag
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ziferblat, Ukraine representative for Eurovision (left to right: Fedir Khodakov, Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Daniil Leshchynskyi):
"You know, it’s like a national day of national outfits in Ukraine. I mean, you see us wearing this kind of, it’s called Vyshevanka. So, yeah, the Ukrainian diaspora that is living here celebrating in this kind of way. So, we just had some Ukrainian dishes, right, like five minutes ago. I see, I’m really enjoying that people, even if they’re not at homes, they’re far away from Ukraine, they’re trying to bring the traditions here to show what we are, yeah, so that’s it.
6. Ziferblat joining the singing of Ukrainian national anthem
7. Various of Ukrainians signing Ukrainian national anthem
8. Ziferblat in crowd
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ziferblat, Ukraine representative for Eurovision (left to right: Fedir Khodakov, Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Daniil Leshchynskyi):
"A little bit of pressure, yeah, but it’s a childhood dream to represent such a big country. I mean, I’m a huge fan of the sports and in my childhood I dreamed to represent Ukraine in a national football team. But now I’m musician and I’m just complete my dream with a musical contest, yeah. Such a privilege to represent, yeah."
"But of course it’s, we have two missions here because we are representing Ukraine during the war times and so we need to remind Europeans about the war. So we are fundraising, oh, look at this wind, we are funding money to buy some robotic systems to demine Ukraine, a big part of Ukrainian territories that we can compare like this part of the Ukrainian territory to like three and a half Switzerland, you know, is equal to three and half Switzerland. So yeah, we started this fundraising company, we need $100,000 to buy a four-robotic system to demine Ukrainian territory, yeah. And the second goal, of course, we represent the whole nation that is suffering because of the war and we need to get a high position."
10. Ziferblat at event with fans
11. Various of Ukrainian fans
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Ziferblat, Ukraine representative for Eurovision (left to right: Fedir Khodakov, Valentyn Leshchynskyi, Daniil Leshchynskyi):
"Yep, her (Khrystyna Starykova’s) home was destroyed like six, seven days ago and we, I think we were in the rehearsal, one rehearsal this time and then I didn’t see her because she was sitting in her room. But the day after, she came to us like nothing happened. I mean, she’s so strong, she is 19 years old only, but the impact of this situation, I think she won’t give up. I mean she knows what to do here, she’s focused on the staging. Of course it’s difficult when you’re losing your flat while you need to like stay calm to celebrate here because it’s a musical festival, it’s not about the war or something. But she’s great. She’s so strong. That’s why I’ve chosen her like back days because I see her, she’s a brave woman. She is a brave girl."
13. Wide of fans posing in front of Ukrainian flag
14. Ziferblat posing
STORYLINE:
Ukraine’s musicians can’t escape war, even at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Rock band Ziferblat has arrived in Basel, Switzerland to represent their country when they learned the home of backing singer Khrystyna Starykova in a frontline region of eastern Ukraine had been destroyed by Russian shelling.
Now the message is that Ukraine is still there, and still fighting invasion.
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