Italian correspondent wounded, Ukrainian fixer killed in Kherson Oblast

La Repubblica correspondent Corrado Zunino was injured and his fixer Bohdan Bitik was killed in a Russian attack on Kherson Oblast, the newspaper reported on April 26.

According to la Repubblica, Zunino and Bitik were "most likely" ambushed by Russian snipers.

Corrado was wounded in the shoulder and is currently in the hospital.

Zunino told la Repubblica that the Ukrainian military had allowed them to pass through three checkpoints "without problems," adding that it "wasn't a fighting zone."

"Then we got hit, I heard a hiss and I saw Bohdan on the ground, and he wasn't moving. I crawled out of the line of fire. I ran until I passed a civilian car. I was full of blood, I had to be taken to a hospital. I have four wounds but I was treated perfectly. I tried several times to call Bohdan, he didn't answer," Zunino said.

Bitik's death has caused Zunino "excruciating suffering," with the journalist calling him "a great friend."

Bitik left behind a wife and son. According to la Repubblica, it is currently difficult to safely remove his body because of the threat of snipers.

Zunino told la Repubblica that he and Bitik could be "clearly recognized" as journalists. Both journalists had extensive experience covering the war in Ukraine, according to the newspaper.

Russian forces have repeatedly targeted both Ukrainian and foreign journalists since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba commented on the incident, saying that "Russians don't care if you're Russian, Italian or Ukrainian, they just shoot," as quoted by la Repubblica.

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