A British citizen working in eastern Ukraine as part of a Reuters news team was killed in a rocket attack on a hotel on Saturday, the news agency confirmed.
Safety consultant Ryan Evans was one of six Reuters staff staying at the Sapphire Hotel in the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kramatorsk – close to the front line – when it was attacked.
Ukrainian authorities said the hotel was hit by a Russian missile. Russia has yet to comment.
In a statement, a Reuters spokesperson said the agency was “deeply saddened” to learn of Mr Evans’ death.
“We are urgently seeking further information about the attack, including working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families,” the statement said.
“We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him deeply.”
The statement also added that two other members of the team were hospitalized as a result of the attack and one was being treated for serious injuries.
The body of a 40-year-old British man was found in the rubble of a hotel at 18:35 local time (16:35 BST) on Sunday after a 19-hour search, Ukraine’s national police said earlier.
Writing on Telegram, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sent “condolences to [the] “family and friends” of the murdered man.
“This is a daily act of Russian terrorism that continues,” he said.
Earlier, Reuters published footage showing parts of the hotel completely destroyed by the airstrike, while firefighters were trying to search through the rubble.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office wrote in a statement that the hotel was likely attacked with an Iskander-M short-range missile.
Kramatorsk is only about 20km (12 miles) from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine and has been frequently attacked, killing civilians, including famous Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina.
The Russian military has been making slow but steady advances in the east in recent months, with Ukraine’s recent offensive into Russia seen as an attempt to draw troops away from the eastern front..
Additional reporting by Aleks Phillips
