Latest news with #Prokofieva
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian War Correspondent Known For Glam Combat Photos Reportedly Killed In Mine Explosion
A Russian journalist who worked for the state-run television network Channel One was reportedly killed after her car struck an 'enemy mine' in the western Belgorod region, near the Ukrainian border. Military correspondent Anna Prokofieva, 35, was mourned in a Wednesday statement from her employer, which said she 'died while performing her professional duty.' According to the pro-Kremlin outlet, the explosion also seriously wounded her colleague, cameraman Dmitry Volkov. Prokofieva had been covering the war since 2023 and was known for sharing stylish images of herself from the combat zones she covered. In her final social media post on Telegram, shared Tuesday, she posed in military fatigues and a head-mounted camera, captioning the image: 'Somewhere on the border with country 404.' The phrase, a reference to the '404 file not found' webpage error, has been adopted by pro-Russian military bloggers as a derogatory term for Ukraine. Following reports of Prokofieva's death, which has not been independently verified, Kremlin foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Ukrainian forces of deliberately targeting Russian journalists in direct violation of international law. 'Journalists could die en masse in connection with a natural disaster,' Zakharova said in a statement quoted by The Telegraph. 'Today this natural disaster is called the 'terrorist Kiev regime.'' Prokofieva's death comes amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Kyiv had recently launched a series of small-scale attacks on Belgorod, believed to be an attempt to relieve pressure on the separate Russian border region of Kursk, where Ukrainian forces are in the midst of a reported retreat. The journalist's death also coincides with fragile ceasefire agreements between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region. While both nations signed separate deals with the United States on Tuesday, each has accused the other of violating the terms. U.S. Says It Brokered Safe Shipping In The Black Sea In Talks With Ukraine And Russia U.S. And Russian Negotiators Launch Ceasefire Talks In Saudi Arabia Trump Reveals When He'll Next Talk With Putin
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian journalist blown up by mine on Ukrainian border
A Russian TV war correspondent has been killed by a mine while working near the Ukrainian border. Anna Prokofieva, who worked for Russia's state-run Channel One, was travelling in a car that hit an 'enemy mine' in Russia's western Belgorod region, her employer said. She 'died while performing her professional duty', the TV channel wrote in a statement, adding that the blast also wounded her colleague, cameraman Dmitry Volkov. Ms Prokofieva, 35, joined the channel in 2023 and had frequently reported from inside occupied Ukraine. She had also recently covered Ukraine's retreat from Suzha, the main settlement captured by Kyiv during its incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Her last online post was dated Tuesday and showed her smiling in a forest, wearing military fatigues and a head-mounted camera. 'Somewhere on the border with country 404', she captioned the photo, in a derogatory reference to the '404 file not found' internet error that pro-Kremlin military bloggers use to refer to Ukraine. Several Russian journalists have been killed in the three-year conflict, with their deaths highly publicised back home. Confirming Ms Prokofieva's death, Maria Zakharova, the Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesman, accused Ukraine of frequently and deliberately targeting Russian media workers. 'Journalists could die en masse in connection with a natural disaster. Today this natural disaster is called the 'terrorist Kiev regime',' Ms Zakharova said. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's press secretary, was reported by the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper to have emphasised that Ms Prokofieva's death was yet another loss of a Russian journalist. 'Our condolences go first and foremost to Anna's family', Peskov was quoted as saying. He was also said to have expressed his condolences to the entire staff of the television channel that employed her. The Izvestia newspaper reported that the Brics Journalists Association, representing media workers in the Kremlin-led intergovernmental organisation, had appealed to Unesco over what it claimed was the 'murder' of Russian correspondents. 'One cannot pretend because of political differences that there is no problem with the murders of journalists from Russia and it is necessary to prevent discrimination against Russian journalists,' Ivan Melnikov, director of the department for journalists' rights at the Brics association, was quoted as saying in an address to Audrey Azoulay, the Unesco director-general. Ms Prokofieva's death comes two days after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of killing Russian journalists in a 'targeted' Himars missile strike in occupied eastern Ukraine. The attack killed Alexander Fedorchak, a war correspondent from Izvestia, a major Russian newspaper, as well as cameraman Andrei Panov and their driver Alexander Sirkeli. The strike in Luhansk killed six in total, according to Russian authorities, including a 14-year-old child. Another correspondent from Russia's Zvezda state news channel, Nikita Goldin, is reported to be in critical condition. Kyiv has not yet commented on the reports, which have not been independently verified. The attack was 'systematic and planned', Ms Zakharova claimed, without providing evidence. Russia's investigative committee said it had opened a criminal case. It came the same day Ukraine destroyed four Russian helicopters using US-supplied Himars missiles in Belgorod. Unconfirmed reports also suggested it used the launchers to destroy two key bridges close to the border. Ukrainian forces have launched small-scale attacks inside Belgorod over the past week, in what are thought to be attempts to relieve pressure on neighbouring Kursk, where a Russian counter-offensive has pushed Kyiv's troops back to a sliver of territory on the border. Kyiv has also repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately targeting journalists reporting on the conflict. At least 21 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). However, other estimates put the number higher. It comes amid growing uncertainty about the fate of a ceasefire agreed in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday after both sides accused each other of breaching the fragile terms. The United States reached separate deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to cease fighting in the Black Sea and pause attacks against energy targets, with Washington agreeing to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow. While Kyiv agreed to start the truce immediately, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that a number of conditions must be met before it comes into force, which involve the lifting of international sanctions. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Russian journalist blown up by mine on Ukrainian border
A Russian TV war correspondent has been killed by a mine while working near the Ukrainian border. Anna Prokofieva, who worked for Russia's state-run Channel One, was travelling in a car that hit an 'enemy mine' in Russia's western Belgorod region, her employer said. She 'died while performing her professional duty', the TV channel wrote in a statement, adding that the blast also wounded her colleague, cameraman Dmitry Volkov. Ms Prokofieva, 35, joined the channel in 2023 and had frequently reported from inside occupied Ukraine. She had also recently covered Ukraine's retreat from Suzha, the main settlement captured by Kyiv during its incursion into Russia's Kursk region. Her last online post was dated Tuesday and showed her smiling in a forest, wearing military fatigues and a head-mounted camera. 'Somewhere on the border with country 404', she captioned the photo, in a derogatory reference to the '404 file not found' internet error that pro-Kremlin military bloggers use to refer to Ukraine. Several Russian journalists have been killed in the three-year conflict, with their deaths highly publicised back home. Confirming Ms Prokofieva's death, Maria Zakharova, the Kremlin's foreign ministry spokesman, accused Ukraine of frequently and deliberately targeting Russian media workers. 'Journalists could die en masse in connection with a natural disaster. Today this natural disaster is called the 'terrorist Kiev regime',' Ms Zakharova said. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's press secretary, was reported by the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper to have emphasised that Ms Prokofieva's death was yet another loss of a Russian journalist. 'Our condolences go first and foremost to Anna's family', Peskov was quoted as saying. He was also said to have expressed his condolences to the entire staff of the television channel that employed her. The Izvestia newspaper reported that the Brics Journalists Association, representing media workers in the Kremlin-led intergovernmental organisation, had appealed to Unesco over what it claimed was the 'murder' of Russian correspondents. 'One cannot pretend because of political differences that there is no problem with the murders of journalists from Russia and it is necessary to prevent discrimination against Russian journalists,' Ivan Melnikov, director of the department for journalists' rights at the Brics association, was quoted as saying in an address to Audrey Azoulay, the Unesco director-general. Ms Prokofieva's death comes two days after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of killing Russian journalists in a 'targeted' Himars missile strike in occupied eastern Ukraine. The attack killed Alexander Fedorchak, a war correspondent from Izvestia, a major Russian newspaper, as well as cameraman Andrei Panov and their driver Alexander Sirkeli. 'Systematic and planned' attack The strike in Luhansk killed six in total, according to Russian authorities, including a 14-year-old child. Another correspondent from Russia's Zvezda state news channel, Nikita Goldin, is reported to be in critical condition. Kyiv has not yet commented on the reports, which have not been independently verified. The attack was 'systematic and planned', Ms Zakharova claimed, without providing evidence. Russia's investigative committee said it had opened a criminal case. It came the same day Ukraine destroyed four Russian helicopters using US-supplied Himars missiles in Belgorod. Unconfirmed reports also suggested it used the launchers to destroy two key bridges close to the border. Ukrainian forces have launched small-scale attacks inside Belgorod over the past week, in what are thought to be attempts to relieve pressure on neighbouring Kursk, where a Russian counter-offensive has pushed Kyiv's troops back to a sliver of territory on the border. Kyiv has also repeatedly accused Moscow of deliberately targeting journalists reporting on the conflict. At least 21 journalists have been killed in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). However, other estimates put the number higher. It comes amid growing uncertainty about the fate of a ceasefire agreed in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday after both sides accused each other of breaching the fragile terms. The United States reached separate deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to cease fighting in the Black Sea and pause attacks against energy targets, with Washington agreeing to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow. While Kyiv agreed to start the truce immediately, the Kremlin said on Wednesday that a number of conditions must be met before it comes into force, which involve the lifting of international sanctions.
