Reuters security adviser Ryan Evans has reportedly been killed in a missile strike on a hotel in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic. Several other journalists have been injured, the news agency said on Monday.
Evans, a former British military officer, had been working for Reuters since 2022, advising journalists on security issues around the world, including in Ukraine, Israel, and at the recent Paris Olympics.
The 38-year-old was reportedly staying at the Sapphire Hotel along with five other members of the news agency’s film crew. Following the strike on the building on Saturday night, two Reuters journalists were injured, while Evans was initially thought to be missing.
“We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly,” Reuters said on Monday, confirming Evan’s death.
“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,” the agency added.
Reuters also stated that the three other members of the film crew who were in the hotel at the time of the strike have been accounted for and are safe. Ukrainian officials say that a total of six people were injured in the strike, including four foreign media journalists.
While Reuters says it is unable to independently verify who fired the missile or whether the strike on the hotel was deliberate, Kiev has blamed Russia for the attack, claiming that the hotel was intentionally destroyed by a Russian Iskander missile.
The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet commented on the incident; however, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has responded by saying that Russian forces only conduct strikes on military infrastructure facilities or buildings connected to the Ukrainian military.
Credit: RT