A French journalist has been killed after being hit by shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation.
Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff, who worked for the 24-hour news channel BFMTV, was on the road to Lysychansk near the eastern city of Severodonetsk in Luhansk, Ukraine, when the strike took place.
BFMTV said the 32-year-old journalist covered the humanitarian operation in an armored vehicle and was a “victim of shrapnel.”
His partner Maxime Brandstaetter was slightly injured in the incident, while his “repairman” Oksana Leuta was unharmed.
Image: Mr. Leclerc-Imhoff had worked at BFMTV for six years. Image: AP
It was the second time that Mr. Leclerc-Imhoff reported in Ukraine from the start of the Russian invasion, which began on February 24.
BFMTV said he had a degree from the Bordeaux Journalism Institute Aquitaine and had worked for the channel for six years.
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An intense battle is taking place over Severodonetsk, a key city, with Russian forces entering the outskirts and pushing towards Lysychansk, said Serhiy Haidai, Luhansk regional governor.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the journalist was in the country ravaged by the conflict to show the “reality of the war.”
“To those who carry out the difficult task of reporting to theaters of operations, I would like to reiterate the unconditional support of France,” Macron tweeted.
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0:40 Separatists seen inside Severodonetsk
Macron said he shares the “grief of family, family and friends” of Leclerc-Imhoff, to whom he sent his condolences.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the journalist’s death was “deeply shocking” and that France demanded that “a transparent investigation be launched as soon as possible”.
Serhiy Haidai, Luhansk regional governor, said the journalist suffered a “fatal neck wound”.
Writing to Telegram’s courier service, Haidai added that the shrapnel pierced an armored vehicle and the evacuation effort had to be stopped.
A policeman was rescued with his helmet.
Haidai wrote: “Today our armored evacuation vehicle was going to pick up 10 people from the area and it was under enemy fire.
“A shrapnel pierced the car’s armor. A fatal wound to the neck was received by an accredited French journalist who was making material about the evacuation.
“A policeman from the patrol was rescued with a helmet.
“We are officially stopping the evacuation.”
Russian forces are strengthening their positions on the northeast and southeastern outskirts of Severodonetsk, while introducing additional equipment and ammunition.
Two civilians were killed and five others were injured in the latest Russian bombing, Haidai added on Monday.
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1:23 Zelenskyy visits the troops at the front
Moscow forces are using “the same tactics over and over again,” he said.
He continued: “They boil for several hours – for three, four, five hours – in a row and then attack.
“Those who attack die. Then the bombing and attacks continue again, and so on, until they penetrate somewhere.”
Severodonetsk is the administrative center of Luhansk. Luhansk and Donetsk comprise the eastern part of Donbas, which Vladimir Putin is trying to conquer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country is doing everything possible to stop the Russian advance in the city and described it as a “fundamental task for the occupiers”.
“About 90% of the buildings are damaged,” he added. “More than two-thirds of the city’s housing stock has been completely destroyed.”