Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova were killed when their car came under fire outside the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, the news channel said on Tuesday. Another journalist Benjamin Hall was injured in the incident and has been hospitalised.
Kuvshynova was 24-year-old and helped crews navigate Kyiv and the surrounding areas. She also gathered information for the news team. Zakrzewski was 55-year-old and had covered war zones and conflicts across the world, including Iraq, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Ukraine.
“Pierre was a steady presence in uncertain times,” Fox News reporter Bret Baier said. “When a correspondent or producer arrived and saw Pierre waiting for them, they knew they were in good hands because he could do just about anything.”
Zakrzewski is survived by his wife Michelle.
About Kuvshynova, Fox News Media Chief Executive Officer Suzanne Scott said: “She was incredibly talented and spent weeks working directly with our entire team there, operating around the clock to make sure the world knew what was happening in her country.”
At least four journalists have died in Ukraine since Russia began its invasion on February 24, reported Reuters. On Sunday, 50-year-old journalist Brent Renaud was killed in the town of Irpin near Kyiv after Russian forces opened fire, the region’s police chief had said.
Renaud, along with his brother Craig, have reported from several conflict zones, including Iraq and Afghanistan. They had won a Peabody Award (for achievement in the electronic media) for a documentary about a Chicago school for students with severe emotion distress. The documentary had been aired by Vice News.
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