Strike on Kramatorsk: Reuters confirms death of staff member and injuries to journalists
Reuters staff member Ryan Evans (photo: Ryan Evans Purchase Licensing Rights / reuters.com)
As a result of a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Reuters team member Ryan Evans was killed. Additionally, two journalists from the news agency were injured, reports Reuters.
It is noted that Ryan Evans, a 38-year-old security advisor for the news agency, was a member of the Reuters team covering the war between Russia and Ukraine.
He was staying at the Sapphire hotel in Kramatorsk on Saturday, August 24, as part of a six-person Reuters team when the building was hit by a missile, resulting in his death.
Two Reuters journalists were hospitalized, with one of their injuries being described as serious.
"We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families," Reuters stated.
Evans, a former British military member, had been with Reuters since 2022, advising the agency’s journalists on security worldwide, including in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics.
An archival photo of Reuters security advisor Ryan Evans from February 8, 2024 (Ryan Evans Purchase Licensing Rights / Reuters).
The agency added that three other team members who were in the hotel at the time of the strike were located and taken to a safe place.
Strike on the hotel in Kramatorsk
Late in the evening on August 24, Russian forces launched a missile strike on Kramatorsk, using an Iskander missile. The impact hit the Sapphire Hotel.
Initially, the Donetsk Prosecutor's Office reported six casualties from the attack: four foreign media journalists and two local women who were in their homes during the Russian bombardment. However, it was later confirmed that the number of victims was seven.
It was also reported that the body of a British citizen who died due to the Russian strike was recovered from the rubble of the Sapphire Hotel.
According to Reuters, six of their journalists were in the hotel at the time of the attack. One of the staff members was reported missing, leading to speculation that the deceased individual might be a Reuters journalist.
On August 25, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the Russian strike on the hotel in Kramatorsk.
