Oksana Boyko

Oksana Boyko is Russia Today’s political correspondent.

She’s been with the channel since its creation, and, incidentally, celebrates her birthday on the same day Russia Today went on air.

Staring with a story about the growing popularity of leech therapy in Russia, Oksana has provided RT viewers with regular reports on the country’s political and economic health. She’s chronicled many of President Vladimir Putin’s foreign trips, followed the changes in Russia’s energy sector and reported on reforms in the army.

Intrigued by politics, Oksana has covered many gatherings of the world’s power players, including the recent G8 summits in St. Petersburg and Heiligendamm. U.S.. President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki are among many world leaders to answer her questions.

Despite the access to the-powers-that-be, Oksana tries to cover her stories through the eyes of ordinary people. From Namibia to Argentina, from Austria to Iran, from Belarus to Vietnam – Oksana never misses a chance to talk to local shopkeepers, bakers, students or passersby. Most recently, she produced a series of in-depth reports from Chechnya, focusing on the personal toll of a decade-long conflict.

Oksana holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communications from Kansas State University. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and studying Turkish.