French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday mourned the death of an Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist in Ukraine, highlighting his courage on the front lines “from the first hours of the conflict.”
“Courageously, from the first hours of the conflict, he was at the front to investigate the facts. to let us know. We share the pain of his loved ones and all his colleagues,” the head of the French state stressed in his message. published on the social network Twitter.
AFP Ukraine video coordinator Arman Soldin was killed Tuesday afternoon in a Grad rocket attack in eastern Ukraine, journalists from the news agency who accompanied him said.
The attack took place around 4:30 pm local time (2:30 pm in Lisbon) in the area of Chasov Yar, a Ukrainian town near Bakhmut, the main battlefield between Russian and Ukrainian forces since last year.
His “tragic death while covering the war in Ukraine reminds us of the courage of all journalists who undertake to inform us at the risk of their lives,” said French Prime Minister Elisabeth Born, quoted by AFP.
In the National Assembly, deputies from all factions stood up to applaud the journalist.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, for its part, expressed “sincere condolences” in connection with the death of Arman Soldin in eastern Ukraine.
“We express our sincere condolences to his family and colleagues. He dedicated his life to bringing the truth to the world,” the ministry said on Twitter.
32-year-old Arman Soldin was accompanied by four colleagues who were not injured, and the Ukrainian military when they were hit by a volley of “rockets”.
Journalists regularly travel to the area to cover the fighting in the region, which has been the center of fighting in Ukraine for several months.
“The agency as a whole is broken,” responded Fabrice Fries, chief executive of AFP.
“His death is a grim reminder of the risks and dangers journalists cover the conflict in Ukraine face daily,” he added.
Phil Chetwynd, director of news at AFP, paid tribute to the “brave, creative and tenacious” journalist.
“Arman’s brilliant work embodies everything that we are proud of as AFP journalists in Ukraine,” he said.
An experienced photojournalist formerly based in London, Arman Soldin has been the video coordinator in Ukraine since September 2022 and has been on the front lines very regularly.
He was also part of the AFP team that covered the early days of the Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022.
“Arman was enthusiastic, energetic, courageous. He was a real reporter, always ready to get to work even in the most difficult areas,” said AFP Europe Director Christine Buhagiar.
“He was overflowing with energy, he even announced himself in the networks. He devoted himself completely to the work of a journalist, ”he described further.
Recruited in Rome in 2015 as an intern before joining the London delegation the same year, Armand, a French citizen and Bosnian by origin, was born in Sarajevo.
He is at least the 11th reporter, interpreter or driver of journalists killed in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, according to reports by specialized non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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