Hotel Hit by Missile in Ukraine’s Kramatorsk: Reuters Safety Adviser Killed, Two Journalists Injured

**Reuters Journalist Killed in Ukraine Hotel Strike, Two Others Injured**

**August 25 (Reuters)** – Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the ongoing war in Ukraine, tragically lost his life in a missile strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk, a city in eastern Ukraine. Two other Reuters journalists were also injured in the attack, the news agency confirmed on Sunday.

Evans, who was serving as a safety adviser for Reuters, was killed when a missile struck the Hotel Sapphire, where he was staying with a six-person team on Saturday. Reuters released a statement confirming his death.

The two injured journalists are currently receiving medical treatment, with one of them reported to be in serious condition.

“We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families,” Reuters stated.

Evans, a former British soldier, had been with Reuters since 2022, offering safety advice to journalists in various global hotspots, including Ukraine, Israel, and the Paris Olympics. He was 38 years old.

“We extend our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has been instrumental in helping our journalists cover events around the world; he will be greatly missed,” Reuters added.

The other three members of the Reuters team who were present at the hotel during the strike were reported safe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile, a type of ballistic missile capable of striking targets up to 500 km (310 miles) away.

“An ordinary city hotel was destroyed by the Russian Iskander,” Zelenskiy said during his evening address on Sunday, describing the strike as “absolutely purposeful” and extending his condolences to the victims’ families and friends.

The Russian Defence Ministry has not responded to requests for comment.

Reuters has not been able to independently verify whether the missile that struck the hotel was indeed fired by Russia or if the building was specifically targeted.

Earlier, the regional prosecutor’s office in Donetsk province reported on Telegram that the body of a British citizen had been found in the rubble of the hotel in Kramatorsk.

The prosecutor’s office stated that the hotel was “destroyed” at 10:35 p.m. local time (1935 GMT) on Saturday, likely by an Iskander-M missile. A pre-trial investigation into the strike has been opened.

**Reporting by Rachel Armstrong and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Frances Kerry**

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Source: reuters.com

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