Denys Davydov

Denys Davydov (lang-uk|Денис Давидов) is a Ukrainian citizen journalist who operates primarily on YouTube and Telegram, and is best known for his coverage and analysis of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. His YouTube channel currently has over half a million followers, which became the most followed channel run by an individual covering the war in Ukraine in March 2023.{{An article by Euromaidan Press in March 2023 about the most followed individuals on YouTube covering the war in Ukraine showed Davydov just surpassing Artur Rehi, who he was shown behind of in an article by Kyiv Post in January 2023.
==Career==
===Pre 2022===
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Davydov was a commercial pilot for SkyUp. He piloted a Boeing 737, and earlier ATR 42 and ATR 72|72, airplanes. It was during this time he started his first YouTube channel called "Pilot Blog", which focused on aviation and showcased his pilot perspective of flying planes. The Pilot Blog channel was hacked after he used public Wi-Fi on an unspecified date, which resulted in his videos being deleted by hackers who requested bitcoin as payment for their return. Refusing, Denys Davydov started another channel in 2014 with the same name as him, which is what he uses today.
===2022–present===
At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Davydov stayed with his family in Ukraine in an undisclosed small village around six to seven hours away from Kyiv by car. He cited a lack of any prior military experience for not joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the beginning of the war, but noted that if the Ukrainian Air Force was in need of pilots in the future he would join after military training. He would begin to support Ukraine instead as a citizen journalist, providing analysis of the war on his Telegram and YouTube channels. In the form of near-daily updates since; Davydov has covered all major and many other events that have come from the Russian invasion, which he sources using statements, reports, and geolocated footage from Ukrainian and Russian officials. Donations collected by Davydov would also be split 50/50 between charities supporting Ukraine and money for his family.
Around January 2023, Davydov would leave Ukraine with his family and moved to an undisclosed country in Europe, citing security concerns with remaining where they were. He has also become more active on his Telegram channel in recent months, citing less censorship of content and no ads, but remains posting on YouTube because of the wider and more global audience it gathers. After the end of the war, Davydov has expressed his desire to return to being a pilot.
Information and commentary from Davydov has been used by the American-based press Daily Kos on multiple occasions.
==Personal life==
Davydov was born in Crimea in the city of Sevastopol, where he was baptised at the ill|St. Nicholas Church, Sevastopol|lt=St. Nicholas Church|uk|Микільська церква (Севастополь). He also lived for a time in Cherkasy.
He is married and has one daughter. English is not his first language.
Category:Living people
Category:People from Sevastopol
Category:People of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Category:Ukrainian aviators