pro-Putin war reporter killed by 'cluster munitions' strike
Pro-Putin Russian war reporter is killed by ‘US-made cluster munitions’ in occupied Ukraine, claims Kremlin
- Russia’s defence ministry said three other journalists were wounded in the strike
- Rostislav Zhuravlev worked for RIA, a staunchly pro-Putin state media outlet
A prominent war correspondent from Russia’s state propaganda media has been killed by a ‘cluster munitions’ strike in occupied Ukraine, Kremlin officials said.
Rostislav Zhuravlev, 34, a war correspondent for Russia’s RIA news agency, died in shelling near the frontline in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region on Saturday.
Russia’s defence ministry said three other journalists were also wounded in a Ukrainian artillery strike. They were evacuated from the battlefield but RIA correspondent Zhuravlev died during the journey, officials said.
‘As a result of shelling with cluster munitions by the Ukrainian armed forces, four journalists have suffered injuries of varying severity,’ said Putin’s defence ministry.
Zhuravlev worked for RIA Novosti, a staunchly pro-Putin state media outlet seen as a key Kremlin propaganda weapon.
Rostislav Zhuravlyov, 34, a war correspondent for Russia’s RIA news agency, died in shelling near the frontline in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region
Zhuravlyov worked for RIA Novosti, a staunchly pro-Putin state media outlet seen as a key Kremlin propaganda weapon
The group reportedly came under fire in the Pyatikhatki area south of Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Russia.
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The journalists are now being taken to the major Ukrainian city of Melitopol, which is controlled by Russian occupation forces.
‘The other reporters’ condition is medium, stable,’ said the ministry.
‘Their lives are not in danger.
‘They are being provided with all necessary medical aid.’
The reporters were on a tightly-controlled trip to the war zone organised by the Russian defence ministry, said Roman Saponkov, another military journalist.
RIA confirmed in a report that its correspondent had been killed while reporting in the frontline village of Piatykhatky, and that one of its cameramen was also hurt.
The defence ministry said Ukraine had used cluster munitions in the incident, but did not provide evidence for this
Russia said it would now respond in kind to the supposed use of US-supplied cluster munitions.
However, Ukraine alleges that Russia has already used cluster bombs in the war.
Zhuravlev last month told Russia’s state-controlled Channel One TV how Russian forces had ‘done their job so well’ that Western-supplied Leopard tanks and Bradley armoured vehicles were ‘destroyed on the approaches, without being allowed to reach our defensive lines’.
Rostislav Zhuravlev, correspondent for Russia’s RIA news agency, poses for a picture at an unknown location
Zhuravlyov worked for RIA Novosti, a staunchly pro-Putin state media outlet seen as a key Kremlin propaganda weapon
Ukraine received cluster bombs from the United States this month, but it has pledged to use them only to dislodge concentrations of enemy soldiers.
Such weapons contain scores of small bomblets that rain shrapnel over a wide area, but are banned in many countries due to the potential danger they pose to civilians. Ukraine has repeatedly said their use will be limited to the battlefield.
The United Nations said Russia itself has repeatedly used cluster munitions during the war.
Cluster munitions are prohibited by 123 countries, including the UK. Concern was raised by several countries following Joe Biden’s decision to supply the war-torn country with with weapons.
Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of the weapons.
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