Taiwo Popoola
A British national, Ryan Evans, who was working as a safety advisor for Reuters in eastern Ukraine, was killed in a missile strike on Saturday.
The attack targeted the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, a city under Ukrainian control but near the front lines of the conflict.
Evans was among six Reuters employees at the hotel when it was struck by what Ukrainian authorities have identified as a Russian missile. Russia has yet to comment on the incident.
Reuters confirmed Evans’s death in a statement, expressing deep sorrow.
“We are devastated by the loss of Ryan Evans, who has been an invaluable part of our team, helping our journalists cover events around the world.
“We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families,” the agency said.
They also confirmed that two other members of the Reuters team were injured in the strike, one of whom is being treated for serious injuries.
The National Police of Ukraine reported that Evans’s body was recovered from the rubble of the hotel at 18:35 local time (16:35 BST) on Sunday after a 19-hour search.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his condolences to Evans’s family and friends, denouncing the attack as part of the “daily Russian terror that continues.”
The Ukrainian General Prosecutor’s Office stated that the hotel was likely hit by a short-range Iskander-M missile.
Kramatorsk, located about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Russian-occupied territories, has been the target of repeated attacks, with civilians often caught in the crossfire.
Among the victims of previous strikes was the celebrated Ukrainian writer, Victoria Amelina.
The Russian military has been making slow advances in the eastern region of Ukraine, with this latest strike emphasizing the ongoing dangers faced by those reporting from the conflict zone.
