Cameraman Yevhenii Sakun killed in TV tower bombing

Kyiv's main television tower - Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP

PR, IFJ, Brussels, 03 March 2022: Journalist Yevhenii Sakun, 49, an EFE correspondent and camera operator for the Ukrainian television channel LIVE, was killed during the shelling of the TV transmission tower in Kyiv by the Russian military on 1 March. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) condemn the killing as a war crime and urges the Russian military to not target media workers and facilities.

The death of the operator was confirmed today by the National Police and IFJ/EFJ affiliate National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). According to Ruslana Pakhalyuk, chief of staff of NEWS Network Holding, they are trying to contact Yevhenii Sakun's family as Sakun's flat in the capital is closed and there are no neighbours.

NEWS Network holding stated they are ready to help with the funeral, to provide support to the relatives. In addition, its employees are providing nationwide support with a news telethon covering Ukraine's fight against Russia and its journalists and operators are participating in creating joint national news content to protect Ukraine.

Sakun's fellow Ukrainian correspondent, Olga Tokariuk, confirmed the cameraman's death officially: "It was a pleasure working with him. I am devastated by this news," she said, accompanying the message with a photo of the murdered cameraman's professional press card.

The first person I know died in this war. My former colleague, TV cameraman Yevhenii Sakun, was killed yesterday as a result of Russian missile strike on Kyiv's Babyn Yar, along with 4 other people. It was a pleasure working with him. I'm devastated by this news. Eternal memory pic.twitter.com/3NEK5fN9rD

— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) March 2, 2022

In a separate incident, Danish reporters Stefan Weichert and photographer Emil Filtenborg Mikkelsen were shot by unidentified attackers on their way to cover a shelling in the town of Ohtyrka in north-eastern Ukraine.

According to the Ukrainian government, 2.000 civilians have already been killed since the start of hostilities by Putin's army. IFJ, EFJ and their Ukrainian affiliates NUJU and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU) expressed their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Sakun and urged respect for journalists' safety reporting on the ground.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of our colleague Yevhenii Sakun, killed in a reckless Russian attack on a civilian infrastructure in Kiev. All parties to the conflict must protect local and international journalists and stop targeting media workers who are risking their life to inform the world about the war."