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Swedish journalists attacked by Russian drone in Ukraine

1 min read

A car of two Swedish news channel TV4 journalists came under an attack by a Russian drone in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, leaving them unharmed but injuring their local Ukrainian producer and two policemen, TV4 reported on Sept. 20.

The attack was said to have taken place at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 19. Reporter Johan Fredriksson and photographer Daniel Zdolseks stepped out of their car just as a drone hit the back of their vehicle.

"This time we were lucky. A Russian attack drone crashed right into the back door of our car, fortunately, there was no one in the car," Fredriksson said.

While the two reporters escaped without wounds, their local producer, Oleksandr Pavlov, and two Ukrainian policemen accompanying the team reportedly suffered light injuries.

The car and the camera equipment have been destroyed, the journalists said.

Darina Levada, the chief police investigator in Vasylivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, told TV4 that the incident is being investigated as a war crime.

Not all journalists who came under Russian fire when reporting from Ukraine's battlefields have escaped unharmed. The Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office said in June that 63 journalists from 14 countries, including Ukraine, have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion.

AFP journalist killed by Grad rockets in Chasiv Yar
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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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