A devastated Washington Post journalist slammed the paper for laying her off while she risked her life reporting from a war zone in Ukraine. 

Correspondent Lizzie Johnson spoke out after the Post announced mass layoffs to staff during an internal Zoom call on Wednesday morning. 

'I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone,' Johnson wrote on X. 

She added: 'I have no words. I'm devastated.' 

Johnson also shared a post she had written earlier describing the harsh conditions she worked under in Ukraine, including waking up 'without power, heat, or running water.' 

'But the work here in Kyiv continues,' she wrote. 'Warming up in the car, writing in pencil — pen ink freezes — by headlamp.' 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos purchased the Post in 2013 for $250million, but the outlet has struggled in recent years with declining subscriptions and web traffic amid a push for profitability.

The cuts could see more than 300 journalists lose their jobs across the company, The New York Times reported. 

Earlier this week, Post journalists appealed to Bezos to spare their jobs with the hashtag #SaveThePost – though the layoffs still pressed ahead.

Bezos is currently the fourth richest person in the world and is worth about $244.4 billion, according to Forbes.

Last Thursday, Johnson wrote on X that 'getting to follow in the footsteps of so many Washington Post correspondents — who have been at the front lines of some of the world's biggest moments — has been an honor.'

'We are still here, still writing history,' she said then. 'I hope that doesn't change.'

Ukrainian bureau boss Siobhan O'Grady was also among those who directly pleaded with Bezos to change his mind.

'We will never forget your support for our essential work documenting the war in Ukraine, which still rages,' O'Grady said.

She also referred to Bezos' spouse Lauren Sánchez while making her case.

'Your wife has called our team 'badass beacons of hope',' she added. 'We risk our lives for the stories our readers demand. Please believe in us and #SaveThePost.'

The sweeping layoffs also effectively shut down the newspaper's sports department, though some staff will be reassigned to other desks, the Times reported.

Coverage will be reframed as 'a cultural and societal phenomenon,' according to the Post's executive editor Matt Murray.

The shift comes despite there being seven major professional teams in or near Washington DC spanning the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, WNBA, MLS and NWSL.

Newsroom staff were told they would receive emails with a subject line indicating whether their jobs had been eliminated.

Murray said the Post was undergoing a 'strategic reset' and 'taking a number of actions across the company to secure our future,' according to The Guardian.

The paper's other changes included scrapping its books desk and suspending its flagship podcast.

The newspaper's guild quickly condemned the latest round of layoffs in a statement issued Wednesday morning.

'Continuing to eliminate workers only stands to weaken the newspaper, drive away readers and undercut the Post’s mission,' the guild said.

The union urged for 'solidarity with our laid-off colleagues and with those who remain,' while also taking aim at ownership.

'If Jeff Bezos is no longer willing to invest in the mission that has defined this paper for generations and serve the millions who depend on Post journalism, then The Post deserves a steward that will,' the statement read.

In a statement, a Post spokesman said the newspaper was ‘taking a number of difficult but decisive actions today for our future.’

The spokesperson added: 'These steps are designed to strengthen our footing and sharpen our focus on delivering the distinctive journalism that sets the Post apart and, most importantly, engages our customers.’

The Post’s newsroom has shrunk dramatically since 2023, with several rounds of buyouts. taking place.

In 2024, the Post's then-new CEO Will Lewis said the outlet ‘needs turning around,’ according to NPR.

'We are losing large amounts of money. Your audience is halved. People are not reading your stuff,' Lewis said. 'I can’t sugarcoat it anymore.'

The Daily Mail has reached out to Johnson, the Washington Post editorial desk and the Washington Post’s executive editor Matt Murray for comment.