Fox News has announced that Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova was working as a freelancer for the network when she died in Monday’s attack that also killed its cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and injured correspondent Benjamin Hall.
CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that Ms Kuvshynova, 24, was killed when the vehicle the three were traveling in was struck by incoming fire in the field.
She was working as a freelance consultant for the Fox News team in Ukraine at the time of her death.
The attack also claimed the life of Fox News cameraman Mr Zakrzewski and hospitalised State Department correspondent Mr Hall, the network previously confirmed.
Ms Scott said they held off on reporting the death of Ms Kuvshynova earlier “out of respect for her family whom we have been in touch with throughout and we extend our deepest condolences to them”.
In a memo sent to Fox News staff, the CEO described the 24-year-old as “incredibly talented” talent with a “passion for music” who had spent several weeks with the team on the ground making sure “the world knew what was happening in her country”.
“In our efforts to keep you updated on yesterday’s tragic events, we want to report that journalist Oleksandra ‘Sasha’ Kuvshynova was also killed alongside our cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire yesterday while in the field with Benjamin Hall,” she wrote.
“Sasha was just 24 years old and was working as a consultant for us in Ukraine. She was helping our crews navigate Kyiv and the surrounding area while gathering information and speaking to sources.
“She was incredibly talented and spent weeks working directly with our entire team there, operating around the clock to make sure the world knew what was happening in her country.
“Our team in Ukraine tells me that Sasha had a passion for music, the arts and photography and was a joy to work with. Several of our correspondents and producers spent long days with her reporting the news and got to know her personally, describing her as hardworking, funny, kind and brave.
“Her dream was to connect people around the world and tell their stories and she fulfilled that through her journalism.”
The network shared a photo of Ms Kuvshynova alongside Mr Zakrzewski and correspondent Trey Yingst.
Anchor Martha MacCallum paid tribute to the freelancer for her “courageous, courageous work” live on air on Monday afternoon.
“We ask you to think of [her family], to keep them in your prayers as they struggle with the loss of their young daughter,” she said.
“Just 24 years old doing courageous, courageous work. Of course, along with the family of Pierre and so many others who have lost loved ones during the war.
“We will miss him and we are grateful for the extraordinary work and the opportunity to work with him over the years as well.
“We await more news, which we will share with you when we can, on the condition of our Benjamin Hall.”
Senior Field Producer Yonat Friling also paid tribute to the “beautiful brave woman” who had worked with the team for around a month, doing a “brilliant job” in a social media post.
“In yesterday’s attack near Kyiv, we have lost a beautiful brave woman - Oleksandra Kuvshinova - Sasha,” she tweeted.
“She loved music and she was funny and kind. she was 24 years old. She worked with our team for the past month and did a brilliant job. May her memory be a blessing.”
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence earlier said on Twitter that both Mr Zakrzewski and Ms Kuvshynova had been killed in Monday’s attack, while Mr Hall had lost part of his leg.
Fox previously announced that Mr Hall - a British-American journalist who has previously written for The Independent - had been hospitalised with injuries close to Kyiv on Monday afternoon.
The network said it had a “minimal level of details” about what happened and the extent of his injuries were unclear.
“Earlier today, our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while news gathering outside of Kyiv in Ukraine,” the Monday memo read.
“We have a minimal level of details right now. Ben is hospitalised and our teams on the ground are working to gather additional information as the situation quickly unfolds.
“The safety of our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and of the utmost importance.
“This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from the war zone. We will update everyone as we know more. Please keep Ben and his family in your prayers.”
The network did not confirm the deaths of the cameraman or freelance consultant at the time.
On Tuesday morning, Fox News then announced that Mr Zakrzewski was killed in the same attack.
“It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski. Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. Pierre was with Benjamin Hall newsgathering when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire,” the statement from Ms Scott read.
“Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for FOX News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. Based in London, Pierre had been working in Ukraine since February. His talents were fast and there wasn’t a role that he didn’t jump in to help with in the field - from photographer to engineer to editor to producer - and he did it all under immense pressure with tremendous skill.
“He was profoundly committed to telling the store and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet. He was wildly popular - everyone in the media industry who has covered a foreign story knew and respected Pierre.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to Pierre’s wife Michelle and family - please keep them all in your prayers. And please continue to pray for Benjamin Hall, who remains hospitalized in Ukraine. We will continue to be in touch with any further updates as needed.”
Hours later, Ms Kuvshynova’s death was also confirmed by the network.
The US State Department said that the Biden administration will do “everything possible” to help Mr Hall and said its thoughts were with Mr Zakrzewski’s family.
“All of us know Ben, we’ve travelled the world with him. Many of you knew Pierre... our thoughts are with Pierre’s loved ones and his family... all of us here at the department are rooting for Ben,” said spokesperson Ned Price in a press briefing on Tuesday.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also sent her condolences to the cameraman’s family on Tuesday.
Monday’s attack came just one day after an award-winning American journalist was shot and killed by Russian forces in Irpin while on an assignment for TIME magazine.
Brent Renaud was in a car on route to report on Ukrainian refugees trying to evacuate when the vehicle was ambushed by Vladimir Putin’s troops, according to Ukrainian officials.
TIME confirmed later that the filmmaker had been “in the region working on a TIME Studios project focused on the global refugee crisis”.
A second American journalist Juan Arredondo was also shot in the attack.
In a video filmed as he was being treated in a nearby hospital, he recalled how a group of foreign journalists were traveling through a checkpoint in Irpin on their way to film Ukrainian refugees fleeing the city.
He said they made their way across one of the first bridges in Irpin and got into a car headed to a second bridge, when they came under fire.
“There was two of us, my friend Brent Renaud, and he’s been shot and left behind… I saw he was shot in the neck,” he said in the video.
A third journalist also traveling in the same car was also wounded, according to Ukrainian officials.
Mr Putin’s forces have repeatedly targeted journalists covering the war in Ukraine while also censoring coverage back in Russia as he tries to control the narrative around the unprovoked attack.
Back on 1 March, Ukrainian journalist and cameraman Yevhenii Sakun was one of five people killed when Russian forces shelled a TV tower in Kyiv.
Days later, two journalists for Sky News were shot by Russian forces but survived.
As the Fox News community mourns the deaths of Mr Zakrzewski and Ms Kuvshynova and prays for Mr Hall’s recovery, some of the networks own hosts have come under fire for promotive misleading narratives about the Russia-Ukraine conflict that increasingly flatter the Kremlin’s version of events.
The most controversial host is Tucker Carlson, whose show is reliably among the most-watched pundit on cable news. Having often questioned before the conflict why anyone in the US should root for Ukraine (a well-established American ally) against Russia (an authoritarian adversary), he has lately helped introduce a conspiracy theory about US-funded and operated biolabs in Ukraine that have supposedly been developing bioweapons.
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
