(Reuters) – Prominent Russian TV war reporter Yevgeny Poddubny survived a Ukrainian drone strike in southern Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday and was in intensive care in a local hospital, his television channel and officials said.Rossiya-24, in a post on the Telegram messaging app, said Poddubny came under fire from a Ukrainian drone while reporting in Kursk region, where Russia’s military said it has been battling to contain an incursion by up to 1,000 soldiers.
“War correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny is conscious,” Russia’s Health Ministry said. “He is now in intensive care. He is receiving the treatment he needs. There are plans to organise remote consultations with leading (Russian) federal centres.”
Rossiya-24 said Poddubny, 40 and one of the most visible reporters of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine, had filed a report on developments in Kursk region hours before coming under fire.
Poddubny has also covered the conflict in Syria.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, responsible for dealing with the country’s most serious crimes, said it would be working to establish who was responsible for the attack. It said Poddubny would be presented with an award.
At the United Nations in New York, Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said developments in Kursk region ran the risk “that there will be an alarming escalation of the crisis and we want to see the situation de-escalated as much as possible”.
The Committee to Protect Journalists lists at least 17 journalists who have been killed since Russian forces launched their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
(Reporting by Ron Popeski; Editing by David Gregorio)
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