international press media reported this Sunday the death of American journalist Brent Renaud, in a shooting near Kiev. As indicated, another journalist was injured in the same incident. The incident occurred in the town of Irpin, on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital.
The New York Times confirmed the death of the press man, who worked as a photographer, although he clarified that in Ukraine he did not work for that medium, beyond the fact that he had a credential from it.
The information was provided by sources in the Ukrainian army, who blamed Russian troops.
They are the first press men who are known as victims of the conflict that began 18 days ago, when Russian troops invaded the neighboring country.
As reported AFPthe two men were hit by bullets while driving with a Ukrainian volunteer doctor, Danylo Shapovalov, who was also reportedly injured. The incident occurred in the midst of the fighting in Irpin. However, Ukrainian authorities They accuse that it was an attack by Russian forces.
a spokesman for The New York Times confirmed that the dead journalist is photojournalist and audiovisual producer Brent Renaud51, who collaborated with the medium “through the years.”
“Although he contributed The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not sent to cover in Ukraine for The Times“, explains the statement and maintains that a version circulated that Renaud was a worker for the media because “he had an identification that they gave him for a job many years ago.”
Renaud, 51, was a contributor to The New York Times until 2015, according to the US media in a statement, in which he also explained that he was not assigned by the media for this coverage. “We are shocked by the news of his death,” the newspaper said in the text.
The first data indicated that he worked for The New York Times because he was wearing a press badge from the media that had been issued for a previous assignment.
The journalists were reportedly filming refugees who had just passed through a checkpoint in Irpin.
White House security adviser Jake Sullivan said: “Obviously, we will be following this latest development very closely and responding accordingly.”
While, the injured journalist is Juan Diego Herrera Aredondo46 years old, who is conscious.
The man received a shrapnel wound to the thigh and was undergoing surgery at the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital, located near the area of the incident.
“Of course, the profession of journalist is a risk, but the American citizen Brent Renaud paid his life for trying to expose the cruelty and contempt of the aggressor,” he added.
UNESCO’s repudiation
UNESCO condemned the death of the American journalist Brent Renaud and assured that “it should never have happened”. “Journalists have an essential role in reporting on conflicts and should never be targeted. I call for respect for international humanitarian rules so that media workers are respected,” the director general of the media said in a statement. Unesco, the French Audrey Azoulay.
Without mentioning his name, the international organization also commented on the injuries suffered in the same attack by Colombian-born photographer Juan Arredondo, born in Pereira and winner of the World Press Photo.
“Renaud’s colleague was also shot in the same incident, but survived,” they detailed.