Ryan Evans, a member of Reuters’ team covering the Ukraine conflict, was killed, and two other Reuters journalists were injured in a missile strike on the Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, on Saturday. The injured journalists are receiving hospital treatment, with one reported in serious condition.
Reuters has announced that it is urgently seeking further information about the attack and is collaborating with local authorities in Kramatorsk. The agency is also providing support to the affected journalists and their families. Evans, a 38-year-old former British soldier, had been with Reuters since 2022, advising on journalist safety worldwide, including in Ukraine, Israel, and at the Paris Olympics.
Evans, who was serving as a safety adviser for Reuters, was staying at the hotel as part of a six-person team when the missile struck. Reuters expressed profound condolences, stating, “Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly.”
The remaining three members of the Reuters team in the hotel at the time of the attack were confirmed safe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attributed the strike to a Russian Iskander missile, a ballistic missile with a range of up to 500 km (310 miles). He condemned the strike as deliberate and extended his condolences to Evans’ family and friends.
The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters has not independently verified whether the missile was Russian or if the attack was targeted specifically at the hotel.
Earlier, the Donetsk regional prosecutor’s office reported finding the body of a British citizen in the hotel’s rubble. The office noted that the hotel was “destroyed” at 10:35 pm local time (1935 GMT) and has initiated a pre-trial investigation into the incident.
