Mariia Skibinska, Chief Editor of Focus and Former Editor-in-Chief of 5.UA, Dies in Car Crash

Mariia Skibinska, the chief editor of Focus magazine and former editor-in-chief of the 5.UA news outlet, died on 29 August in a fatal traffic accident. The crash occurred when her car collided head-on with a bus, according to family members and initial reports.

Her mother, Natalia Skibinska, an employee of Channel 5, was also killed in the collision. She had been travelling in the same vehicle with her daughter at the time of the crash.

The deaths were confirmed by Mariia Skibinska’s husband, Danylo Zubko, in a Facebook post. Zubko serves as a serviceman with the 95th Air Assault Polissia Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The double fatality has drawn condolences from colleagues across Ukraine’s media sector. Mariia Skibinska was widely recognized for her leadership roles at the weekly magazine Focus and the television news service 5.UA, while Natalia Skibinska was known for her work at Channel 5.