Under Siege in Ukraine

‘A landmark take on the war in Ukraine, offering a dramatic, boots-on-the-ground view that will keep you on the edge of your seat.’ - Dave Makichuk, journalist and commentator

When Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Australian journalist Hugh Bohane finds himself at the centre of the biggest European war since World War II.

What begins as an assignment soon becomes something far more personal.

From refugee convoys fleeing west to shattered cities in Ukraine's east, Bohane reports from the frontlines as missiles fall, families are torn apart and an entire nation fights for survival. Along the way, he encounters soldiers, civilians, aid workers and fellow journalists, each confronting impossible choices in a conflict reshaping the world.

But the deeper the reporting goes, the harder it becomes to maintain the distance expected of a correspondent. As the war closes in, Under Siege in Ukraine becomes more than a record of events. It is a deeply personal account of witnessing history unfold in real time and the emotional cost of telling the story.

Part frontline memoir and part meditation on modern conflict, Under Siege in Ukraine explores how war spreads far beyond the battlefield through fear, propaganda, displacement and trauma, because war does not stay where it begins.

‘Amid the thunder of war, this is how truth survives in the hands of one who observes without ego, records and writes with a courage that doesn't announce itself.’ - Dr Alison Thompson, 2026 NSW Australian of the Year and founder of Third Wave Volunteers

About the Author

Hugh Bohane is an Australian journalist, foreign correspondent and multimedia producer with more than two decades of experience reporting on conflict, politics and culture. A journalism graduate of Griffith University, he has reported from Ukraine, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and the South Caucasus.

His work has appeared internationally through Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, Rolling Stone and The Diplomat, while in Australia, he has worked with SBS, the ABC, 7 Tasmania and currently works as a journalist with Cairns Local News.

His reporting focuses on the human impact of war, political upheaval and authoritarianism, with a particular interest in how ordinary people, artists and communities endure conflict and instability.

Under Siege in Ukraine: Witnessing Russia's Full-Scale Invasion is his first book. He is currently working on a second book.