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French journalist Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff was killed in Ukraine on Monday while covering the conflict-torn country.
The reporter, from the 24-hour news channel BFMTV, was covering the show the "reality of the war", reported Sky News. The tragic incident was divulged by French President Emmanuel Macron. "Onboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians, forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot," Macron tweeted. Macron said he shared the "pain of the family, relatives and colleagues" of Leclerc-Imhoff, to whom he sent his condolences, reported Sky News. Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, was covering an evacuation operation near the eastern city of Severodonetsk, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna said. Colonna said the journalist's death was "deeply shocking" and that France demanded a "transparent investigation be undertaken as soon as possible". BFMTV released a statement saying he was the "victim of shrapnel" and was killed on the road to Lyssytchansk, adding, "He was accompanied by his colleague Maxime Brandstaetter, who was slightly injured during this strike, and their 'fixer' Oksana Leuta, who was not affected," reported Sky News. BFMTV also said Leclerc-Imhoff was a graduate of the Institute of Journalism Bordeaux Aquitaine and had worked for the channel for six years. It was his second mission to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, which began on 24 February. Serhiy Haidai, the regional governor of Luhansk, said the reporter suffered a "fatal wound to the neck". Writing on the Telegram messaging service, Haidai added that shrapnel pierced an armoured vehicle and the evacuation effort had to be halted, reported Sky News. An intense battle is going on for Severodonetsk - a key city - with Russian forces entering the outskirts and pushing towards nearby Lysychansk, Haidai added. Severodonetsk serves as Luhansk's administrative centre. Luhansk and Donetsk comprise the eastern Donbas area. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country is doing all it can to halt the Russian advance into the city, and described capturing it as a "fundamental task for the occupiers". "Some 90 per cent of buildings are damaged," he added. "More than two-thirds of the city's housing stock has been completely destroyed." (ANI)
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