Being on the ground in Ukraine and reporting on the war is associated with great risks.
When SVT's reporter Carl Fridh Kleberg and photographer Lars Lyrefelt deliver live broadcasts and reports from Kyiv, there is therefore another important player in the team: security expert Johan Eckervad.
- SVT's reporters go in when others go out, and are always in place where it happens.
My knowledge is important to make it as safe as possible to report to the audience about what is happening in the world, says Johan Eckervad, security specialist at SVT.
Johan Eckervad has worked for the Armed Forces and worked in Afghanistan and Somalia, among other places.
He is used to the uncertainty that now characterizes the job in Ukraine.
- The most difficult is to make decisions based on deficient information.
If we are going to a place, we never know what it will look like in that place and what we will be met by.
Threatened with loaded weapons
The benefit of being on site as a security expert became clear when the team that was on site shortly after the outbreak of war was stopped for an inspection.
- At a checkpoint, we were pulled out of our vehicle, they pushed us down on the ground and aimed sharp-charged weapons at us while they searched the vehicle.
Then I could help to escalate the situation due to my experience and education.
Johan Eckervad has a long list of equipment that accompanies the team daily wherever they go.
In a so-called grab bag, there are the most essential items such as satellite phones, batteries and medical supplies.
Extra backpacks, food and water are packed in a backpack.
- You should be able to manage 24 hours on what is in the backpack, and there should be extra of everything that is in the grab bag.
So what is the absolute most important thing in the bags?
- It's the GPS tracker.
It will show SVT where we are and it is possible to communicate in text with it.
See Johan Eckervad show the equipment required to work in the middle of the war in the clip above.