Ukraine war: French journalist killed near Bakhmut

Arman Soldin, a 32-year-old French journalist working for AFP news agency, was killed by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar in eastern Ukraine. He was reporting alongside Ukrainian soldiers when the attack occurred. French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Soldin’s work, while AFP expressed devastation at the loss and emphasised the dangers faced by journalists covering the conflict. 

Soldin had been living in Ukraine since September and was part of the first AFP team deployed after Russia’s invasion. Ukraine’s defence ministry offered condolences, stating that Soldin dedicated his life to informing the world about the truth. 

Soldin’s death marks the 15th journalist killed while reporting on the Ukraine war since February 2022, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Two other French journalists, Pierre Zakrzewski and Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, have also lost their lives while covering the conflict. Bakhmut has remained a focal point of the fighting in eastern Ukraine for several months.