10 Ukrainian & int'l journalists killed & many injured during war, EU Council informs

The ongoing Ukraine war, which transcended 60 days recently, has led to horrifying death toll figures and mass-scale destruction of infrastructures in the ex-Soviet state. In the latest update pertaining to the same, the European Council on Tuesday informed that 10 Ukrainian and international journalists have been killed and many others were left injured ever since the Russian invasion started in Ukraine. The European Council have accused the Russian troops of "detaining, abducting or kidnapping and targeting journalists and civil society actors" to stop the world from learning the truth regarding the ongoing situation. 

The European Council called on the Russian armed forces to immediately cease their military actions. Marking the World Press Freedom Day, the EU Council lauded the journalists which included camera crews, reporters, photographers and bloggers who were working in Ukraine to inform the world about "Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression." In the statement, the EU Council stressed that the safety of journalists remains a priority for the European Union and it is providing support to media outlets and journalists who were reporting in war-ravaged Ukraine. The EU Council further informed that they have provided psychological support and safety equipment like helmets as well as financing to cover salaries.

Journalists play 'crucial part' in ensuring atrocities do not go unpunished: EU Council

According to the EU Council, journalists, by highlighting the human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Russian armed forces, contribute to countering disinformation and information manipulation surrounding the invasion. The EU Council asserted that journalists play a significant part in ensuring that people responsible for the atrocities do not go unpunished. The EU Council in the statement said, "They play a crucial role in ensuring that these atrocities do not remain unpunished. Those responsible will be held accountable for their actions." 

A prominent Ukrainian photojournalist Maks Levin was found dead in Huta Mezhyhirska, Vyshhorod district in Ukraine, RFE/RL reported. Ukraine's Presidential aide Andriy Yermak said that Levin went missing on March 13 and his body was found near Huta Mezhyhirska on April 1. Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office stated according to preliminary findings, that the late journalist was "fatally shot twice with small-arms fire, by servicemen" of the Russian armed forces, as per the RFE/RL report. Earlier last week, another journalist named Vera Girich was killed in a missile attack on Kyiv, Nexta reported. As per the report, Girich's colleague Alexander Demchenko announced that Vera Girich lost her life in the latest shelling in Kyiv. 

Image: AP