Russia’s Refusal to Retreat Cost These Journalists Their Lives

Tragedy continues to unfold in war-torn Ukraine. The Russian invasion of the once quiet and calm country is now captured in images with lifeless bodies strewn across its streets. Homes now form piles of debris and buildings are left with little to stand on. Lives continue to be lost in Ukraine, some of which belong to dedicated journalists who paid the ultimate price to cover the war as it unfolds.

Who are the journalists who were committed to their careers and lost their lives in Ukraine?

Being a journalist, particularly one in the investigative reporting field, is a risky job, but one that brings great joy and fulfillment to those who do it. The names of the journalists you’ll find listed down below were some who didn’t retreat from Ukraine amid the war, but instead, stood alongside its citizens to capture the devastation Russian President Vladimir Putin is responsible for.

Brent Renaud was a documentary filmmaker, photographer, and journalist. He and his brother Craig Renaud worked on many projects together that “told humanistic stories from the world’s hotspots,” according to his IMBD bio. The siblings’ efforts paid off as their work has been recognized with awards like the Peabody Award and two Columbia DuPont Awards, to name a few.

Renaud has written for some of the most popular news publications including The New York Times and The Boston Globe. On March 13, 2022, Renaud was fatally injured by Russian army gunfire in Irpin, Ukraine. At the time of his death, he was reportedly working on a documentary with Sugar23, TIME Studio, and Day Zero Productions.

Photojournalist Pierre Zakrzewski, a cameraman for Fox News, was another to lose his life while covering the Russian-Ukraine war, reports The Hill. Zakrzewski was 55-years-old and was considered by many to be an “experienced” journalist and cameraman. His life was taken after the vehicle he was traveling in with news correspondent Benjamin Hall was struck outside Kyiv.

Many, including Fox News president Jay Wallace, recollected their time working with Zakrzewski, saying that “the legacy of his positive spirit, boundless energy, and eye for the story will carry on.”

As of March 14, 2022, 636 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and at least 1,125 have been injured, reports CNN. Of those that have been fatally injured, at minimum, 46 were children. Sadly, these figures will likely increase as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues.

Now, although talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators are reportedly coming along, Putin has yet to retreat his troops who are responsible for causing significant destruction and deaths. Just a few days ago, Russia launched an airstrike, which struck a maternity ward. The attack reportedly wounded at least 17 people.