Reuters Team Member Killed, 2 Journalists Injured In Russian Missile Attack On Ukrainian Kramatorsk Hotel

ILLUSTRATION/Ukraine Military At Kursk/PHOTO Via Instagram @ukraine_defence

JAKARTA - Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a Russian attack on a hotel in Ukraine's Kramatorsk city.

Evans, who worked as a health adviser for Reuters, was killed after a missile hit the Saphire Hotel where he was staying as part of a six-member team on Saturday, Reuters said in a statement.

Dua jurnalis agensi berita tersebut sedang dirawat di rumah sakit, salah satu dari mereka terluka parah.

"We will soon seek more information on the attack, including cooperation with authorities in Kramatorsk, and we provide support to our colleagues and their families," Reuters said.

Evans, 38, a former British soldier, has been working with Reuters since 2022 and advised journalists about safety around the world including Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics.

"We extend our deepest condolences and condolences to Ryan's family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover various events around the world. We will miss him very much," Reuters said.

Three other Reuters team members who were at the hotel at the time of the attack have been identified and survived.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the hotel was hit by the Russian Iskander missile, a ballistic missile that can strike at a distance of up to 500 km (310 miles).

An ordinary hotel in the city was demolished by the Russian Iskander, he said in his evening address on Sunday.

Zelenskiy said the attack was really intentional. My condolences to family and friends," he said.

Reuters was unable to independently verify whether the missile that hit the hotel was fired by Russia or a deliberate attack on the building.

The Donetsk provincial prosecutor's office said in a previous Telegram post the body of a British citizen was found in the rubble of a hotel building in Kramatorsk.