Russia killed a journalist from the U.S.-backed broadcaster Radio Liberty by a missile assault on Kyiv throughout a go to to the Ukrainian capital by the secretary-general of the United Nations, the broadcaster mentioned on Friday.
Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) mentioned the physique of producer Vira Hyrych had been discovered on Friday morning in rubble after Thursday’s assault destroyed the underside two flooring of a residential constructing. It mentioned Hyrych had labored for Radio Liberty since 2018.
“She was going to bed when a Russian ballistic missile hit her apartment in central Kyiv. Russia’s barbarism is incomprehensible,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko mentioned. “We call on media organizations to condemn the murder of Vira and all other innocent Ukrainians.”
U.S.-funded RFE/RL, which has lined the previous Soviet Union because the Cold War, is among the major remaining Russian-language sources for information outdoors Kremlin management, since Moscow successfully shut all unbiased media inside Russia following its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
“The editorial board of Radio Liberty expresses its condolences to the family of Vira Hyrych and will remember her as a bright and kind person, a true professional,” the broadcaster mentioned in a press release.
In Kyiv, employees had been cleansing up rubble within the residential space hit by the missiles.
“Kyiv is still a dangerous place and Kyiv is still the target of Russians, of course. The capital of Ukraine is the goal and they want to occupy it,” Mayor Vitali Klitschko mentioned, supervising the cleanup earlier than the physique of Hyrych was discovered. The missiles hit the capital throughout a go to on Thursday by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov referred to as it “an attack on the security of the Secretary-General and on world security”.
Ukraine acknowledged on Friday it was taking heavy losses in Russia’s assault within the east, however mentioned Russia’s losses had been even worse, as U.S. President Joe Biden referred to as on Congress to ship as a lot as $33 billion to assist Kyiv face up to the assault. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised Biden’s provide of large assist, which quantities to just about 10 instances the help Washington has despatched to date because the conflict started on Feb. 24.
Having failed in an assault on Kyiv within the north of Ukraine final month, Russia is now attempting to completely seize two jap provinces referred to as the Donbas