Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian journalist killed in Kherson

A Ukrainian journalist was shot dead in the Kherson region this week, who was traveling with an Italian colleague. The incident, suspected to be caused by a Russian sniper, marks another instance of a media worker or journalist getting killed since the beginning of the ongoing war.

The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that Ukrainian journalist Bogdan Bitik was fatally shot in Kherson on Wednesday while traveling with the newspaper’s reporter Corrado Zunino. Bitik was translating for Zunino when he was shot “most likely with Russian snipers,” according to the news outlet. Zunino was shot in the shoulder and is currently receiving medical attention.

Zunino told the newspaper from the hospital that they passed three Ukrainian checkpoints when they were hit. Both of them were wearing press vests when they were attacked near the destroyed Antonivskyi Bridge. Zunino recalled hearing “a hiss” and then seeing Bitik on the ground.

“He wasn’t moving. I crawled out of the line of fire. I ran until I passed a civilian car. I was full of blood. I had to be taken to Kherson Hospital,” said Zunino.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that at least 15 media workers and journalists have been killed since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year. The head of the National Union of Journalists in Ukraine, Sergiy Tomilenko, said the attack was a “new war crime of the Russians” while calling for Italian groups and newspapers like La Repubblica to do more to protect Ukrainian journalists.

Ukrainian forces reclaimed Kherson in November last year, but the territory has since then been bombarded by Russian forces that retreated across the Dnipro River.

Meanwhile, the British defense ministry on Friday said that Moscow announced last week that it was canceling the annual International Army Games this year. The ministry said that the cancellation was likely due to the fact that such an event would be “frivolous in wartime,” noting the criticism of the Russian defense ministry by nationalist commentators for continuing the 2022 event.

“There is also the possibility that due to losses in Ukraine, the Russian MOD is concerned a shortage of tanks, tank crews, and other skilled personnel will risk the Russian team’s usual domination of the medals table,” said the ministry.