A Reuters staff member goes missing following a Russian attack on a hotel in Kramatorsk
The news organization had a team of six working at a hotel as part of their coverage of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"The Hotel Sapphire in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, accommodated a team from Reuters, was hit by a strike on August 24, 2024. One of our team members is still missing, while two others were rushed to the hospital for care," a representative from Reuters communicated in a statement to CNN.
Three other team members have been confirmed safe, Reuters reported, further stating that they are intensely collaborating with Kramatorsk authorities to quickly acquire further details.
The Reuters team managed to capture footage early on Sunday of the extensive damage inflicted on the hotel. The video depicted emergency services sifting through enormous heaps of debris with flashlights. Footage filmed within the hotel revealed several demolished rooms.
The video also indicated extensive destruction of the hotel's roof.
Kramatorsk has been a frequent target of Russian shelling since Russia initiated its conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. It remains one of the major urban areas under Ukrainian control in the embattled east region of the country.
Last year in April, Russian troops executed a missile assault on Kramatorsk's train station, which was serving as a sanctuary for civilians fleeing the fighting.
More than 50 individuals, including several children, lost their lives in that single incident. This attack was condemned as a "presumed war crime" by Human Rights Watch and SITU Research.
The coverage of the Reuters team in Ukraine extended beyond the conflict in Ukraine, as they also reported on the impact of the conflict in Europe. The train station in Kramatorsk, a city in Europe, was a target last year, resulting in a significant loss of life.
