American journalist killed by Russian forces in Ukraine: reports

An award-winning American filmmaker and journalist was killed in Ukraine on Sunday and a photographer was injured while reporting near the capital, according to multiple media reports.

Kyiv regional police said that an American journalist was killed by Russian forces in Irpin, Ukraine, according to social media posts on Sunday, CNN reported, and the New York Times reported that it was journalist Brent Renaud.

Fellow journalist mourned his death on Twitter.

Kyiv police said another American journalist was also wounded by Russian troops. The Guardian identified him as photographer Juan Arredondo. He said in an interview that Renaud was shot in the neck as they passed through a checkpoint in Irpin. Arredondo’s website says he is a Colombian-American photographer who has contributed to the New York Times, National Geographic and other outlets.

“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the death of U.S. journalist Brent Renaud in Ukraine. This kind of attack is totally unacceptable, and is a violation of international law,” said Carlos Martinez de la Serna, CPJ’s program director, in New York. “Russian forces in Ukraine must stop all violence against journalists and other civilians at once, and whoever killed Renaud should be held to account.”

The New York Times reported Renaud, 50, had worked for a number of American news and media organizations in the past, including HBO, NBC and The New York Times.

An adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, said in a statement that Mr. Renaud “paid with his life for attempting to expose the insidiousness, cruelty and ruthlessness of the aggressor,” the Times reported.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death,” said Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The Times. “Brent was a talented filmmaker.”

In a statement, the Times said that Renaud was wearing a press badge from the newspaper when he was killed but was not on assignment and had not contributed to the paper since 2015.