Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting members of the Russian press.
Peskov offered his condolences to Izvestoa on Saturday for the death of Semyon Yeryomin – a war correspondent for the newspaper who was killed on Friday while covering the conflict.
He said that the tragedy highlights the dangers that journalists face when working in combat zones and then confirmed that “As for the Armed Forces of Ukraine deliberately targeting Russian journalists – yes, that is the case”
RT reports: Yeryomin was filming a story about anti-drone warfare in Zaporozhye Region on Friday when a Ukrainian UAV dropped an explosive device on his crew. The explosion wounded Yeryomin, who later succumbed to his injuries, the newspaper said.
According to Izvestia, as part of his job as a correspondent, Yeryomin had reported on the crimes committed by the Ukrainian army against civilians.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the attack, describing it as “an act of revenge for the honest performance of journalistic duty.” The “deliberate and cold-blooded murder” showcases the “ugly terrorist nature” of the authorities in Kiev, she stated.
Several Russian journalists have lost their lives since Moscow launched its military operation in the neighboring state more than two years ago.
In November 2023, Boris Maksudov, who worked for Russia 24 TV, died from shrapnel wounds he suffered during a Ukrainian drone attack in Zaporozhye Region. Other slain media employees include RIA Novosti’s Rostislav Zhuravlev, Tavria TV’s Oleg Klokov, and RuBaltic’s Aleksey Ilyashevich.
Russia has also accused Kiev of conducting targeted assassinations of media figures far away from the front lines, including journalist Darya Dugina and military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky. Although Ukraine refused to explicitly acknowledge its involvement, officials in Kiev openly celebrated their deaths.