In a memo to staff, National Security and Foreign Policy Editor Courtney Bonnell announced that Konstantin Toropin will join AP’s Washington team as a Pentagon reporter:
We are thrilled to announce that Konstantin Toropin will be joining AP as a Pentagon reporter. Konstantin, who comes to AP from Military.com and is a Navy veteran, is a face and name well known at the Pentagon, and he’s excited to continue reporting deeply on service members, unraveling policy changes and collaborating with colleagues around Washington and the world to break news on the biggest stories of the day.
After graduating from Penn State University, Konstantin worked at CNN before changing course and enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 2009. He served five years in the surface fleet as a signals intelligence analyst before returning to CNN in 2016 and spending several years covering breaking national news and the 2020 election.
In 2021, Konstantin began covering the Navy and Marine Corps at Military.com before becoming Pentagon correspondent. His coverage has focused on issues affecting the quality of life for service members, including reporting ranging from contaminated water aboard the USS Boxer to child abuse at military bases’ care facilities.
He was named one of the top 10 veterans in journalism by Military Veterans in Journalism in 2023, and last year, he and his colleagues received the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation award for reporting on national defense.
Please join us in welcoming Konstantin to the AP.
