Six people, including three journalists, were killed in a Ukrainian artillery strike on the eastern Luhansk region, Russian authorities reported on Monday. Among the victims were Izvestia correspondent Alexander Fedorchak and two employees of the Zvezda TV channel, cameraman Andrey Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli. The Russian Investigative Committee announced that it had opened a criminal case following the incident. Additionally, a 14-year-old teenager and TASS correspondent Mikhail Skuratov were injured, suffering shrapnel wounds.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the attack, vowing to seek a response from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and UNESCO. She accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting journalists and called for international action to prevent such incidents. Russia has consistently criticized Western nations for their silence on attacks against media personnel in conflict zones.
In response, the UN Secretary-General’s office reiterated its opposition to the killing of journalists and called for a thorough investigation. The incident adds to the growing concerns over press safety in the ongoing conflict, with both sides accusing each other of targeting media personnel in disputed territories.
