Andrew Kramer

Andrew Kramer (also known as Andrew E. Kramer) is an American journalist who lived in Russia for more than 15 years and worked at the Moscow bureau of NYT.^[2] Since July 2022 he is a Head of The New York Times bureau in Kyiv.^[3] Kramer's reporting career, particularly his coverage of Ukraine from a Moscow perspective, has made him a controversial figure, especially among Ukrainian civil society. His portrayal of the conflict in Ukraine and his involvement in promoting the Russian vaccine Sputnik V have drawn significant criticism.

Born in Oakland, California, USA. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in history.^[4] He received a master's degree in history from Oxford University.^[1]

He worked for the Associated Press in Portland, Oregon, and New York, as a researcher and news assistant for The Washington Post, and as a freelance reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. In the summer of 1995, he worked for the Ukiah Daily Journal in Ukiah, California.^[1][5][6] In 2005, he joined The New York Times (NYT) as a correspondent for Business Day. Covered Iraq from 2007 to 2011. He lived and worked in Russia for more than 15 years. Worked at the NYT bureau in Moscow.

In 2017, a team of NYT journalists won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for a series of articles that included Cramer's article, "How Russia Hired Elite Hackers for Its Cyber War".^[1]

On July 22, 2022, it was announced that Kramer became the first NYT bureau chief in Ukraine.^[5]

Some Ukrainian civil society figures accuse Kramer of pro-Russian views in his articles.^[3][7] He was also accused of viewing Ukraine through a colonial lense.^[8]

During 2020–2021, Kramer devoted a series of publications to the topic of fighting the coronavirus, and was accused by some Ukrainian media of becoming a participant in the Russian propaganda campaign to popularize the Russian vaccine Sputnik V.^[9][8] Kramer wrote positively about the effectiveness of Russian medicines in the fight against the coronavirus and published a report on his own Sputnik V vaccination.^[10][11]

For nearly a decade, Kramer narrated Ukraine from the perspective of Moscow, often using phrases like "civil war" involving "Russian-backed separatists" rather than directly acknowledging a Russian invasion. His reporting during events like the 2008-2009 gas dispute predominantly presented Moscow’s arguments. With the onset of the Revolution of Dignity, his focus on Ukraine increased, yet his portrayal frequently reflected a pro-Russian slant. Kramer's accreditation by Russian occupiers and his inclusion in the "Myrotvorets" database further complicated his reputation. Critics argue that his coverage often served Russian propaganda, such as his portrayal of occupied territories and his 2016 article mentioning "reporting both sides of the war, including the pro-Russian rebel side." In 2020, "Detector Media" highlighted Kramer's description of the war as "separatist." Despite these controversies, Kramer's more recent articles since the full-scale war started generally lack blatant manipulations. He now praises Ukraine’s authorities, reports on victories, and explains the country's stance against a ceasefire. However, his long-standing Moscow-centric perspective and past reporting have left a lasting impact on his reputation in Ukraine.^[12]

After Kramer received the Pulitzer Prize, Meduza editor-in-chief Ivan Kolpakov accused Kramer of plagiarism, saying that he used material from two reports by Meduza journalist Daniil Turovsky in his article, but did not provide both links.^[13][14][15] Kramer ignored Kolpakov's comment. Journalist Oleg Kashin reacted to this by saying that if Kramer had received an award for retelling materials from First World publications, it would have caused a "huge scandal".^[16]

He is married to Russian journalist Anna Nemtsova. She has no relation to the killed Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov^[3]