Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the ongoing war in Ukraine, was tragically killed in a missile strike on the Hotel Sapphire in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, the news agency reported on Sunday. Evans, 38, was working as a safety adviser for Reuters when the hotel was struck by a missile on Saturday night, leaving two other Reuters journalists injured, one of them seriously.
The attack, which reportedly involved a Russian Iskander missile, targeted the hotel where Evans and his team of six were staying. Evans, a former British soldier, had been with Reuters since 2022, providing safety advice to journalists in conflict zones around the world, including Ukraine, Israel, and the Paris Olympics.
🚨🇺🇦 REUTERS SAFETY ADVISER KILLED, TWO JOURNALISTS INJURED IN UKRAINE STRIKE
Ryan Evans, a Reuters safety adviser, was killed in a missile strike on the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. Two Reuters journalists were also injured, with one in serious condition.
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— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 25, 2024
Reuters expressed deep sorrow over Evans’ death, stating, “We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly.”
The three other members of the Reuters team present at the time of the strike were accounted for and are safe. The agency is working with authorities in Kramatorsk to gather more information about the incident and is providing support to the affected journalists and their families.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the strike, describing it as a deliberate attack on a civilian target. “An ordinary city hotel was destroyed by the Russian Iskander,” he said in his evening address, offering condolences to Evans’ family and friends.
The Russian Defence Ministry has not responded to inquiries regarding the strike, and Reuters has not been able to independently verify the source of the missile or whether the hotel was deliberately targeted.
The Donetsk province’s regional prosecutor’s office confirmed that the body of a British citizen was found in the rubble, and a pre-trial investigation into the attack has been initiated.
Via Reuters
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