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No journalists allowed in Ukraine's Irpin, says mayor after US reporter killed
In a video message posted on Twitter, Markushyn said no journalist would be let into Irpin because they were revealing military positions to the Russians.
No journalist will be allowed to enter Ukraine’s Irpin until the area is liberated from Russian forces, mayor Oleksandr Markushyn said on Tuesday. The announcement comes after an American filmmaker Brent Renaud, was killed, and another person was wounded, by Russian forces in the town, which is around 50 km outside Kyiv, as they were travelling on work.
In a video message posted by news agency AFP on Twitter, Markushyn said no journalist would be let into Irpin because the stream of media content from the city was revealing military positions to the Russians, and that the measure had been taken to prevent risking more Ukrainian lives.
"In this way, we want to save lives for them and our defenders… I very much ask all media representatives, as well as Ukrainians, do not post photos of our servicemen, their equipment or anything that would indicate their location,” Markushyn added.
Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, has witnessed some of the fiercest fightings since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
Renaud, a 50-year-old filmmaker, was shot dead by Russian forces, said Andriy Nebytov, the head of Kyiv's regional police force, on Sunday. Nebytov had posted a picture purportedly of Renaud's body on Facebook, as well as pictures of his American passport and media credentials issued by The New York Times.
However, the Times said that the journalist was not currently working for it.
Russia and Ukraine held a fourth round of talks on Monday even as Moscow’s forces continued to launch a barrage of missiles aimed at Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
Ukraine officials said Russian forces have launched more than 900 missiles but that Ukraine’s airspace is still contested, with Russia not achieving total air superiority.
Shortly before dawn on Tuesday, large explosions thundered across Kyiv as Russia pressed its advance on multiple fronts.
According to the United Nations, almost 2.8 million people have left the war-torn country and over 600 have died but the actual toll is expected to be much higher.
