Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has penned a touching letter to the household of US journalist Brent Renaud, who was slain whereas reporting on the struggle close to Kyiv over the weekend.
“A gifted and courageous journalist, Brent misplaced his life whereas documenting human tragedy, devastation and struggling of the tens of millions of Ukrainians,” Zelensky wrote in the letter, which he shared on social media Monday. “With all his braveness and willpower, he traveled to essentially the most harmful struggle zones to movie the unprecedented ruthlessness and evil, additionally inflicted upon our nation by the aggressor state.
“The folks of Ukraine, who’re combating in opposition to the Russian regime to defend their Homeland and democracy on this planet, are mourning with you,” he informed Renaud’s family members.
Renaud, a 51-year-old video journalist and former New York Instances contributor, was fatally shot within the neck when Russian troops opened hearth on the automobile he was touring in close to the Romanivsky Bridge within the city of Irpin, police and a witness mentioned.
Renaud, who has additionally reported for NBC, Vice Information and HBO, was engaged on a Instances Studios mission concerning the large refugee disaster in Ukraine when he was attacked, according to a tweet.
Two different journalists had been injured within the assault and hospitalized, Kyiv Chief of Police Andrey Nebitov wrote on Fb.
“In fact, the career of a journalist is a danger, however US citizen Brent Renaud paid his life for attempting to spotlight the aggressor’s ingenuity, cruelty and ruthlessness,” Nebitov mentioned.
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The police chief additionally shared a picture of an officer on the scene beside a person’s bloodied physique.
One of many different journalists injured was American photographer Juan Arredondo, who was within the automobile with Renaud when Russian troops opened hearth.
Arredondo mentioned that they had simply crossed a bridge to movie refugees fleeing the violence. After the automobile crossed a checkpoint as they went to movie folks at one other bridge, the Russians “began taking pictures at us,” he informed The Guardian. He was break up up from Renaud when he was put in an ambulance and brought to the hospital.
US Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned Sunday that Russia will face “acceptable penalties” for Renaud’s demise.
“That is clearly surprising and horrifying, and I’ve simply discovered about it as I got here on to air right here, so I will probably be consulting with my colleagues, will probably be consulting with Ukrainians, to find out how this occurred after which to measure and execute acceptable penalties because of it,” Sullivan mentioned throughout an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
Renaud beforehand received a Peabody Award for his work alongside his brother, Craig, who was among the many kin Zelensky addressed his letter to. The siblings received the distinguished award for a Vice Information documentary a couple of faculty in Chicago, in keeping with their Website online. The brothers had labored on documentary initiatives for his or her firm, the Renaud Brothers, from Iran, Afghanistan, Haiti, Egypt, Libya and Mosul.
The New York Instances issued a press release about Renaud’s demise Sunday. Renaud was not working for The Instances when he was killed, regardless of preliminary experiences.
“We’re deeply saddened to listen to of Brent Renaud’s demise. Brent was a gifted filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Instances over time,” a New York Instances rep informed The Submit.
