An award-winning American journalist has been shot dead by Russian troops while covering the war in Ukraine.
Brent Renaud, who had previously worked for The New York Times, was in a car with other foreign press when Russian soldiers opened fire.
The 51-year-old was shot in the neck and killed, while one of his colleagues was injured and taken to hospital by ambulance.
Speaking to the Italian paper Internazionale from the hospital, the journalist who survived the attack said Mr Renaud “had to be left behind”.
Just left roadside spot near Irpin where body of American journalist Brent Renaud lay under a blanket. Ukranian medics could do nothing to help him by that stage. Outraged Ukranian police officer: “Tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist.”
— Jane Ferguson (@JaneFerguson5) March 13, 2022
He said: “We had crossed the first bridge in Irpen. We were going to film other refugees leaving we got into a car. Somebody offered to take us to the other bridge.
“We crossed a checkpoint and they started shooting at us. The driver turned around, there were two of us. My friend is Brent Renaud.
“He has been shot and left behind. I saw he has been shot in the neck. We got split.”
‘Talented photographer and filmmaker’
Initially, he was thought to have been on assignment for The New York Times as he was carrying a press badge that listed the newspaper as his publication.
The Times has however issued a statement to clarify that while Mr Renaud has worked for them in the past, he was not in Ukraine on assignment for them.
In a statement published on social media, New York Times deputy managing editor Cliff Levy said the publication was “deeply saddened” to learn of Mr Renaud’s death and described him as a “talented photographer and filmmaker”.
.@nytimes is deeply saddened to learn of the death of an American journalist in Ukraine, Brent Renaud.
Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker, but he was not on assignment for @nytimes in Ukraine.
Full statement is here. pic.twitter.com/bRcrnNDacQ— Cliff Levy (@cliffordlevy) March 13, 2022
He wrote: “We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death. Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker who had contributed to The New York Times over the years.
“Though he had contributed to The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not on assignment for any desk at the Times in Ukraine.
“Early reports that he worked for Times circulated because he was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.”
