"A vehicle carrying journalist Alexander Martemyanov was reportedly struck while returning from the Russian-controlled city of Gorlivka (file photo)."Russian Journalist Killed in Drone Strike Near Donetsk, State Media Reports
Russian state newspaper Izvestia has reported that freelance journalist Alexander Martemyanov was killed in a drone strike near the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow has accused Ukraine's military of deliberately targeting Martemyanov, but Ukrainian officials have not commented on the incident.
According to Izvestia, the vehicle carrying Martemyanov was hit while traveling on a highway in a Russian-controlled area. The news outlet stated on its Telegram channel, "The Ukrainian army launched a drone strike on a civilian car carrying Izvestia's freelance correspondent Alexander Martemyanov. The car was located far from the line of contact."
The vehicle was reportedly returning from coverage of shelling in the Russian-held city of Gorlivka when it was struck. Russia's state news agency RIA added that two of its journalists were injured in the attack, and Izvestia reported that three additional media workers sustained injuries.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the incident, calling it a "deliberate murder." In a statement, she described it as "another brutal crime in a series of bloody atrocities" attributed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration.
The European Union has blocked access to Russian state media outlets, including Izvestia and RIA, since May 2022, citing their role in spreading propaganda and supporting Russia's war against Ukraine.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that at least 15 journalists have been killed since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
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