Us journalist Brent Renaud was working on Time refugee project when killed in Ukraine

WASHINGTON - US journalist Brent Renaud, who died near the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, had been working on a video project for the American Time, the magazine’s television and film production division said.

"We are devastated by the loss of Brent Renaud. As an award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Brent tackled the toughest stories around the world often alongside his brother Craig Renaud. In recent weeks, Brent was in the region working on a TIME Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis. Our hearts are with all of Brent’s loved ones," Time Studios said in a statement on Sunday, according to Sputnik.

The New York Times said on Sunday that it was very saddened to learn about the death of Brent Renaud, 50, in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, but added that he was not on any assignment for the newspaper there. US photographer Juan Arredondo was travelling with Renaud and was injured in the same attack near a security checkpoint. According to the newspaper, Renaud was wearing a journalist press badge, which had been issued to him by the New York Times "many years ago".

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the US was going to work with the Ukrainians to investigate Renaud’s death "to determine how this happened and then to measure and execute appropriate consequences as a result of it".

In the early hours of Feb 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kyiv forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation was to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine and that only military infrastructure was being targeted. - BERNAMA