U.S. journalist Renaud killed in Ukraine by Russian forces

Russian forces have killed an American journalist and documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud in Irpin, Ukraine, the chief of police of Kyiv said.

Renaud, whose New York Times press pass and American passport were posted on social media, was a legendary filmmaker, covering some of the world’s worst human tragedies.

The New York Times said in a statement that he was not on assignment for them and that their press pass with his name and photo was old.

CBS News said Monday that it had confirmed Renaud was killed by Russian forces.

“A 51-year-old world-renowned media correspondent was shot in Irpen today,” local police chief Andriy Nebytov posted on Facebook.

“Another journalist is injured. Now they are trying to remove the victim from the war zone.

“Of course, the profession of a journalist is a risk, but U.S. citizen Brent Renaud paid his life for trying to highlight the aggressor’s ingenuity, cruelty and ruthlessness.”

Juan Arredondo, who was traveling with Renaud during the attack and hospitalised for his injuries, told a journalist that the two had tried crossing a bridge in Irpin to film refugees leaving when they were attacked by Russian forces at a checkpoint.

“We got into a car—somebody offered to take us to the other bridge, and we crossed the checkpoint and they [started] shooting at us,” Arredondo said. “So the driver turned around, and they kept shooting.”

He said he saw Renaud get shot in the neck.

The journalist’s death comes after days of fierce street battles in Irpin, a suburb about three miles outside Kyiv, which led to the deaths of multiple civilians.

Read more about Renaud’s work here: