Arman Soldin, the Ukrainian video coordinator for AFP have been killed by rocket fire close to Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine.
The attack took place on Tuesday, May 9, on the outskirts of the town close to Bakhmut, the focal point of the fighting in eastern Ukraine for several months, at around 4:30 pm (1330 GMT).
When the AFP team was with a group of Ukrainian soldiers, they came under fire from Grad rockets.
The rocket that struck close to where 32-year-old Soldin was lying killed him. The team’s remaining members were unharmed.
The loss of Arman has devastated the entire organization, according to AFP chairman Fabrice Fries.
His passing serves as a terrible reminder of the risks and dangers that journalists covering the conflict in Ukraine face on a daily basis.
On Twitter, Soldin received praise from French President Emmanuel Macron for his bravery.
“He was at the front to establish the facts with courage from the first hours of the conflict and to inform us.”
Macron wrote in his letter, adding that he felt the suffering of his family and all of his colleagues.
Ukrainian defense ministry, affirmed that Soldin was killed in a Russian missile attack on Chasiv Yar in the eastern part of Donetsk, and it has expressed its “heartfelt condolences” to his family and coworkers.
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