An award-winning US journalist has been killed by Russia forces on the outskirts of Kyiv while covering the invasion of Ukraine.
According to tragic reports, 51-year-old Brent Renaud was on the ground in Ukraine working as a video journalist, and lost his life in an incident that also injured another journalist – his partner – in the northwestern suburb of Irpen.
Kyiv region police chief Andriy Nebytov confirmed the sad news in a statement.
“The occupants [cynically] kill even journalists of the international media who try to show the truth about the inaction of Russian troops in Ukraine,” Nebytov said.
“A 51-year-old world-renowned media correspondent was shot in Irpen today… US citizen Brent Renaud paid his life for trying to highlight the aggressor’s ingenuity, cruelty and ruthlessness.”
Renaud had previously worked for the New York Times, and was carrying a press card issues to him by the newspaper several years ago at the time of his passing. It’s understood that he was not in Ukraine on assignment from the paper, though.
As per another journalist injured in the incident, Renaud and the others had just passed a checkpoint on their way to film refugees fleeing Irpen – an area that has seen heavy fighting in recent days – when the car they were traveling in came under fire.
New York Times’s managing editor Cliff Levy tweeted: “Is deeply saddened to learn of the death of an American journalist in Ukraine, Brent Renaud. Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker, but he was not on assignment for @nytimes in Ukraine.“
He added: “Brent’s death is a terrible loss. Brave journalists like Brent take tremendous risks to bear witness and to tell the world about the devastation and suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.“
With the fighting escalating as Russian forces advance deeper into Ukraine, multiple journalists have reported dangerous encounters with troops as they try to relay what’s happening to the rest of the world.
My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people whose lives have been affected by the ongoing war raging in Ukraine.
Rest in peace, Brent Renaud. Please, share this article on Facebook if you would also like to send your well wishes to his family.
