Tanya Lukyanova

Video Producer

Tanya Lukyanova is a Russian-born, New York-based video producer and documentary filmmaker. She got her start on the late show circuit – researching and producing Russia-related segments for the likes of Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Samantha Bee and others. Later, she worked with Alex Gibney on “Agents of Chaos,” a two-part documentary for HBO; wrote and produced five episodes for the third season of Netflix documentary series “Explained”; and contributed to the Academy-Award winning documentary “Navalny.”

Since 2022, Tanya has been covering the war in Ukraine for The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker and Semafor.

In 2023 interview, alleged Trump plotter decried hurdles to get foreign soldiers for Kyiv

Ryan Routh is now in custody for what the FBI described as an apparent attempt to assassinate former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago.

Ukraine is running out of ammo. The West doesn’t have enough.

In the era of drones and AI, the war between Russia and Ukraine has in many ways become a contest to see which country can get their hands on the most 155-millimeter howitzer shells.

How Russia’s Wagner played both sides in Sudan

The presence of Wagner, which has supported both of Sudan’s feuding generals since the overthrow of former dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019, adds to the uncertainty.

Head of Russia’s Wagner group confirms recruitment of US-trained Afghan soldiers

Semafor previously reported that Ukraine had been turning down US-trained Afghan soldiers — but that Russia has been recruiting them. The head of the paramilitary group shares more details.

Ukraine is turning down hundreds of Afghan soldiers who want to join its war effort

Hundreds, if not thousands, of U.S.-trained Afghan fighters are seeking to join Ukraine’s foreign legion but the fighters have so far been turned away even as Russia increasingly relies on irregular forces such as foreign fighters, including ones from Afghanistan.

How Telegram captures the fractured reality of war

When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, Telegram emerged as its digital battlefield.

When COVID doesn’t end, animated with AI

Today marks the third year since the first known case of COVID-19. Billions have had the disease, millions have died, and millions more still struggle with it. This is Beth’s story, animated by an artist using artificial intelligence.

Life in Bucha under Russian occupation, animated with AI

Witness: Tetiana Sichkar spent a month under the Russian occupation in her home town of Bucha. Her story was verified by Semafor and animated by an artist using artificial intelligence.

Life during the Russian offensive, illustrated by art and AI

Witness: Sergei Sotnychenko was trapped in his home town of Irpin, on the outskirts of Kyiv during the early days of the Russian offensive on Ukraine. His first-hand account of his experiences as fighting over Irpin raged was verified by Semafor and illustrated by an artist who used AI tools to turn his words into moving images.