Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski killed in Ukraine

Fox News said on Tuesday its cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski was killed in the same attack in Ukraine in which a correspondent, Benjamin Hall, was injured.

According to the Ukraine news website kp.ua, a Ukrainian journalist, Oleksandra Kuvshinova, was also killed in the attack.

The news follows the death in Ukraine on Sunday of Brent Renaud, an American film-maker.

Fox News announced the attack and Hall’s injury on Monday, saying the reporter “was injured while newsgathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine”.

Zakrzewski and Kuvshinova died “as a result of artillery shelling by Russian troops in the north-eastern part of the village of Gorenka”, kp.ua said, without detailing the relationship between the journalists.

In a tweet on Tuesday, the Fox News anchor John Roberts said it was “horrible news to report”.

“I worked with Pierre many times around the world,” Roberts said. “He was an absolute treasure. Sending our most heartfelt prayers to Pierre’s wife and family.”

Fox News’ chief executive, Suzanne Scott, said: “Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. Pierre was with Benjamin Hall yesterday … when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire.

“Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for Fox News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us.

“His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. Based in London, Pierre had been working in Ukraine since February. His talents were fast and there wasn’t a role that he didn’t jump in to help with in the field – from photographer to engineer to editor to producer – and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill.”

Zakrzewski, 55, helped Afghans who had worked for Fox News escape the country last summer after the US withdrawal, Scott added.

“He played a key role in getting our Afghan freelance associates and their families out. In December, at our annual employee spotlight awards, Pierre was given the Unsung Hero award in recognition of his invaluable work.”

Trey Yingst, a Fox News foreign correspondent, tweeted a picture with Zakrzewski and said: “I don’t know what to say. Pierre was as good as the come. Selfless. Brave. Passionate. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

Another Fox News anchor, Bill Hemmer, paid tribute to his colleague on air, saying Zakrzewski “was an absolute legend at this network. And his loss is devastating.”

Hall, who is British-American, remained in hospital on Tuesday. The network said it was still trying to gather details of the attack on its team.

“We have a minimal level of details right now,” Scott said in a memo to staff Monday that did not mention Zakrzewski. “Ben is hospitalised and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds.

“The safety of our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance. This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from the war zone.”

On Sunday, Ukrainian authorities said Renaud, an award-winning filmmaker, was killed by Russian forces in Irpin, outside Kyiv. An American photographer, Juan Arredondo, was wounded.

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Jane Ferguson, a reporter for PBS Newshour who was nearby, said: “Outraged Ukrainian police officer: ‘Tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist.’”

Clifford Levy, a deputy managing editor of the New York Times, said the paper was “deeply saddened” to learn of Renaud’s death but he had not been on Times assignment when killed, despite wearing identification which named the paper.

Levy added: “Brave journalists like Brent take tremendous risks to bear witness and to tell the world about the devastation and suffering caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”

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