An American journalist was shot and killed in Ukraine today by Russian forces. Fifty-one-year-old Brent Renaud was by all accounts a talented photographer and experienced filmmaker. A vehicle he was riding in with other members of the press was shot up today by Russian forces in the city of Irpin, near Kyiv.

In the past, Renaud had reported for The New York Times but was reportedly not on assignment for them at the time of his death. “He was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.” a statement from The Times said.  Time Magazine stated that Renaud had been in the area for several weeks for a TIME Studios project on the global refugee crisis.

The head of police in the Kyiv region, Andrii Nebitov, announced the death through the Ukrainian press. He recently stated in a Facebook post:

“Today, a 51-year-old correspondent for the famous newspaper ‘The New York Times’ has been shot dead in Irpin. Two other journalists have been injured . Right now we are trying to get the victim out of the combat zone.The invaders even kill journalists from international media who are trying to show the truth of the atrocities of Russian troops in Ukraine.” 

Nebitov reported that Russian troops opened fire on a car containing foreign journalists, killing Renaud and injuring a colleague. The injured journalist is being treated in a nearby hospital. 

PBS News Hour correspondent Jane Ferguson posted on Twitter that she witnesses the American’s body “under a blanket” in Irpen.

“Ukrainian medics could do nothing to help him by that stage,” she said. She continued that an “outraged Ukrainian officer” told her to “tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist.”

This is breaking news, and SOFREP will keep you posted as more details of this story become available.

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