London – After a period of calm for journalists covering the war between Russia and Ukraine, two Italian press experts were shot in the car they were traveling in near the city of Kherson.
The attack, which they blamed on Russian forces, injured Italian freelance journalist Claudio Locatelli and photojournalist Niccolò Celesti, who specialize in reporting on armed conflicts.
The car was clearly identified as a press vehicle, and its occupants were wearing identity vests and helmets.
Intentional attack on journalists in Ukraine
According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), 12 press deaths occurred in the war in Ukraine, most of them due to deliberate attacks by the Russian military in conditions similar to the new case.
Locatelli shared a video on his Facebook account showing the attack that took place on the 19th. The glass of the car was broken, several shots were fired at the door on the right where he was sitting, and the tires were punctured.
“We’ve been shot! The explosion you saw damaged the car, the guns blocked us before we could reach safety. I lost blood, but my wound is light. If I had opened the door, I would have had no legs or worse,” Locatelli denounced.
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Locatelli pointed out that the car was well identified and there was no one around.
Given its location and dynamics, the attack on us was deliberate.
The shot came from the east bank, across the Dnipro River, where the Russian army was stationed. There is no excuse for shooting at the press.”
The video shows the sound of explosions in the background as the returning car and passengers, protected by roadside pillars, decide what to do.
They change tires and decide to follow, but not sure if they managed to escape. At one point, Claudio Locatelli even said goodbye as he passed under a bridge and said that if they didn’t make it, at least there would be a video to document it.
During the escape, like a good Italian in love with cars, the journalist praises “la machchina” and promises to save the car if they escape alive. They eventually find a Ukrainian patrol and show them the damage to the car.
In a joint statement, the IFJ and the European Federation of Journalists urged the international community to protect journalists who document the conflict.
“The deliberate attack by our Italian colleagues in Ukraine shows the urgent need for a concerted effort to protect media professionals in war zones. These crimes should not go unpunished.
Most of the victims of the war in Ukraine became the target of attacks
The annual balance of journalists killed on duty or in crimes related to the work of the IFJ in 2022 showed Ukraine as the country with the most victims, with a total of 12.
Most cases occurred in at least the first six months of the war. 46 attacks on journalists, 9 dead and 6 war crimes.
Also read | Freedom of the press in the 6-month occupation of Ukraine: 46 journalists attacked, 9 dead and 6 war crimes
While it is not uncommon for journalists to be injured or killed while covering armed conflicts, the war in Ukraine had a different pattern: deliberate attacks by the Russian military against professionals identified as members of the press.
The attack on the Italians this week was similar to the attack on 14 March in which two journalists were killed.
A Fox News crew consisting of veteran British war correspondent Benjamin Hall, cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, and Ukrainian mechanic Oleksandra Kuvshinova was shot down by Russian troops on March 14. Zakrzewski and Kuvshinova were killed instantly, while Hall was seriously injured.
Better luck was with a British SkyNews team led by war correspondent Stuart Ramsey. Days ago, the car they were traveling in was ambushed and injured two professionals, including Ramsay, one of the leading names in internet journalism.
Even when he was shot, the cameraman filmed the entire attack with a shocking video showing the uncut panic. The cries of the professionals, who warned that they were journalists, were ignored by the attackers.
Also read | The car with the British journalists was ambushed in Ukraine and two people were injured; Watch the video
source: Noticias
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.