(Reuters) – Ukraine's security service announced the names of a Russian general suspected of ordering a missile attack on a hotel in eastern Ukraine in August and said he acted “with the motive of deliberately killing Reuters employees.”
Ukraine's Security Service said in a statement on Friday that Colonel-General Alexei Kim, deputy chief of Russia's General Staff, approved the strike that killed Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans and wounded two of the agency's journalists on August 24.
In a statement posted on the Telegram messenger app, Ukraine's Security Service said it had notified Kim in absentia that he was an official suspect in its investigation into the attack on the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, a step in Ukrainian criminal proceedings that could later lead to charges.
In a separate 15-page notice outlining the results of its investigations, the agency said the decision to launch the missile was made “motivated by the deliberate killing of employees of the international news agency Reuters who were engaged in journalistic activities in Ukraine.”
The document, published on the Prosecutor General's Office's website on Friday, said Kim received intelligence that Reuters employees were staying in Kramatorsk. She added that Kim was “fully aware that the individuals were civilians and did not participate in the armed conflict.”
The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the SBU findings and did not respond to previous questions about the attack. The Kremlin also did not respond to a request for comment. Kim did not respond to messages sent by Reuters to his mobile phone requesting comment on the Ukrainian Security Service statement and whether the strike deliberately targeted Reuters employees.
The Ukrainian Security Service did not provide evidence to support its allegations, and did not say why Russia targeted Reuters. In response to the news agency's questions, the security service refused to provide further details, saying that its criminal investigation is still ongoing, and therefore it is unable to reveal such information.
Reuters has not independently confirmed any of the Ukrainian security service's allegations.
Reuters said on Friday: “Today we are following news from the Ukrainian security services regarding the August 24, 2024 missile attack on the Safir Hotel in Kramatorsk, a civilian target located more than 20 kilometers from Russian-occupied territory.”
“The strike had catastrophic consequences, killing our safety advisor, Ryan Evans, and injuring members of our editorial team. We continue to search for more information about the attack. It is extremely important that journalists are able to report freely and safely.” The statement said.
Reuters declined to comment further on allegations that its employees were deliberately targeted.
The Ukrainian Security Service statement said Kim was classified as a suspect under two articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code: waging an aggressive war and violating the laws and customs of war.
He added, “Kim was the one who signed the directive and issued the combat order to fire on the hotel where civilians were staying only.”
Evans, a 38-year-old former British soldier who had been working as a safety consultant for Reuters since 2022, was killed instantly in the raid.
The Ukrainian Security Service's statement provided some details about how the raid occurred, according to its investigations.
The Ukrainian agency said: “To carry out the attack, the Russian colonel sought help from one of his missile forces units,” adding that the strike was carried out with an “Iskander-M” ballistic missile.
The State Security Administration did not specify the specific unit.
Ivan Ljubiš-Kirdi, a videographer working for the news agency, was seriously injured and was in the room across the corridor. Kiev-based text reporter Dan Belichuk was also injured.
The remaining three members of the Reuters team escaped with minor cuts and scratches.
