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Russian state TV journalist killed by mine near Ukraine's border

• 1 min read
Russian state TV journalist killed by mine near Ukraine's border
Anna Prokofyeva, a journalist for Russia's state-controlled TV Channel One, in a photo in an unspecified location published on March 16, 2025. (Anna Prokofyeva's Telegram channel)

Anna Prokofyeva, a journalist for Russia's state-controlled TV Channel One, was killed by a mine in Belgorod Oblast, while her cameraman, Dmitry Volkov, was injured, the broadcaster reported on March 26.

"Channel One military correspondent Anna Prokofyeva died while performing her professional duties," the statement said.

Prokofyeva reportedly triggered the mine while reporting from the Russian region that has been the site of repeated clashes and cross-border attacks from Ukraine. Channel One claimed the mine was "enemy-laid" but did not provide further details.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.

Earlier this week, three employees from Russian state-affiliated media were killed in occupied Luhansk Oblast while on assignment, several Russian news outlets reported.

Russia's TV Channel One is a key state propaganda outlet, amplifying Kremlin narratives and disinformation to justify Moscow's policies, including its full-scale war against Ukraine. The channel regularly distorts facts, silences dissent, and promotes anti-Western rhetoric.

The incident follows increasing hostilities in Belgorod Oblast and neighboring Kursk Oblast, where Ukrainian forces have conducted drone and artillery strikes on Russian military infrastructure.

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Tim Zadorozhnyy

Reporter

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering foreign policy, U.S.-Ukraine relations, and political developments across Europe and Russia. He studied International Relations and European Studies at Lazarski University and Coventry University. Tim began his journalism career in Odesa in 2022 as a reporter for a local television channel. He later spent a year and a half at the Belarusian independent media outlet NEXTA, first as a news anchor and later as a managing editor. He is fluent in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.

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Inflicting heavy personnel losses has become a stated strategic objective of Ukraine. In January, then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine aimed to "kill 50,000 Russians per month," arguing that losses on that scale could undermine Moscow's ability to sustain the war.

Among those killed were a 16-year-old boy, as well as a 19-year-old woman, and a 51-year-old woman, authorities said, in a strike that landed near a grocery store as well as several residential buildings.

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