American journalist, Brent Renaud, aged 51, has been shot dead by Russian troops in Ukraine filming refugees crossing the border.
Soldiers opened fire on a van of the foreign press which had onboard the American freelance filmmaker who has been covering the war in Ukraine, Kyiv police announced on Sunday.
Brent Renaud was in a truck with other journalists in Irpin when Russian troops opened fire.
He was shot dead and one of his colleagues was injured, according to local authorities.
Initially, he was thought to have been on assignment for The New York Times because he was carrying a press badge that listed the newspaper as his publication.
The New York Times has however issued a statement to clarify that while he worked for them in the past, he was not there on assignment for them.
‘We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death. Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker who contributed to The New York Times over the years.
‘Though he had contributed to The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not on assignment for The Times in Ukraine.
‘Early reports that he worked for The Times circulated because he was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.’
Renaud and his brother, another filmmaker, were experienced in conflict zones and are understood to have been filming refugees crossing the border when they were killed.
(THE SUN UK)
