Ryan Evans, who had been affiliated with Reuters since 2022, lost his life in Ukraine due to a Russian missile strike amid the ongoing conflict.
A former British soldier, Evans was serving as a safety advisor to assist journalists when he was killed in a missile attack that struck a hotel in eastern Ukraine.
His body was found in the rubble of the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, following an assault that also injured four other foreign journalists.
Reuters issued a statement expressing their deep sorrow over Evans’ death, who had been a crucial member of their team covering the Ukraine war.
“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has supported numerous journalists in covering global events; his absence will be deeply felt,” the agency stated on Sunday.
Two Reuters journalists were hospitalized following the attack, with one in serious condition, while three others were confirmed safe.
According to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General, the injured sustained “landmine-explosive injuries,” including fractures, cuts, and bruises.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered his condolences to the family and friends of the journalist. In a post on X, he stated, “Today in Kramatorsk, the entire day was spent clearing the rubble after a Russian missile strike.”
“A Russian ‘Iskander’ missile deliberately destroyed a regular city hotel. It was a calculated attack,” Zelenskyy added.
Reuters had earlier reported that one of their journalists was unaccounted for following the missile strike on Saturday.
A spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office commented, “We are aware of reports concerning a missing British national in Ukraine and are in contact with local authorities for further details.”
Associated Press reporters at the site described the former hotel as “reduced to rubble,” with excavators still working to clear the debris hours after the strike. Meanwhile, the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine also came under Russian attack, resulting in several civilian casualties, as noted by Regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov on the Telegram app.
In the Chuhuiv area of Kharkiv, five people, including a four-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl, were injured when two houses were hit by Russian fire.
In Kharkiv city, eight people were wounded when a two-story building was set ablaze by a Russian strike.
In Balakliia, a Russian attack destroyed six houses and damaged others, injuring a 55-year-old man. A separate strike in the Kupiansk area set a house on fire, wounding four women.
Meanwhile, five people in Russia lost their lives after Ukrainian shelling hit the Belgorod border region on Sunday.
The artillery strike injured 12 others in the village of Rakitone, with a 16-year-old girl in critical condition, according to the region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov.
Later, Gladkov reported on social media that another man was killed in a separate drone attack on the border village of Solovevka.
