Russian journalist killed by drone attack near Donetsk after being hit by Ukraine, Russia condemns

that one of its reporters was killed after being hit by a drone strike near the Donetsk region allegedly carried out by Ukraine's military. The incident has been met with condemnation from the Russian foreign ministry.

The newspaper reported on its Telegram channel that, "Ukrainian forces...carried out a UAV strike on a civilian automobile with a Komsomolskaya Pravda correspondent, Alexander Martyniyanov, on board...The car was located far from the contact line."

At the time of the incident, which occurred Sunday, the car was moving along a highway connecting Donetsk city with the nearby city of Gorlovka.

"After such a cynical murder, all journalists who cover events in this area will become legitimate targets," the newspaper said, adding that it would demand criminal charges against the Ukrainian government.

In a separate Telegram post, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also condemned the drone strike, describing it as "a deliberate, premeditated murder."

According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, two other communicators traveling with Martyniyanov suffered injuries in the attack, along with two additional journalists working for a local Donetsk-based publishing house. Their condition is not known.

As of this writing, Ukrainian officials have not offered a response to the accusations.

Last year, the non-governmental organization Committee to Protect Journalists said that at least 15 media workers have died since Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.