A former British soldier, Ryan Evans who was a safety staff adviser to Reuters International News Agency in Ukraine have been killed when Russia missile struck a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Saturday.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a video statement on Sunday, said, Russia used Iskander missile to kill the Reuters safety adviser and injured numbers of other journalists, American, British and Ukrainian citizens on Saturday during the attack.

Reuters in a statement on Sunday, announced the death of its staff, Ryan Evans and said the staff was a former British soldier who have been in the services of the News agency since 2022.

Russia military war in Ukraine began officially on February 24, 2022.

Reuters statement as reported by the news network reads in quote thus: “Ryan Evans, a member of the Reuters team covering the war in Ukraine, was killed and two Reuters journalists were injured in a strike on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk.

Evans, who was working as a safety adviser for the agency, was killed after a missile struck the Hotel, Sapphire, where he was staying as part of a six-person team on Saturday.

Two of the agency’s journalists were being treated in hospital; one of them was seriously injured. “We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families,” Reuters said.

Evans, a former British soldier, had been working with Reuters since 2022 and advised its journalists on safety around the world including in Ukraine, Israel and at the Paris Olympics. He was 38.

“We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan’s family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly,” Reuters said.

The three other members of the Reuters team who were in the hotel at the time of the strike were accounted for and safe, the agency said”.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile, a ballistic missile that can strike at distances up to 500 kilometers (310 miles).

The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Reuters was not able to independently verify if the missile that hit the hotel was fired by Russia or if it was a deliberate strike on that building, the news agency reported on Sunday.

Adding, the Donetsk province’s regional prosecutor’s office said in a Telegram post earlier that the body of a British citizen had been found in the rubble of a hotel building in Kramatorsk.

The hotel was “destroyed” at 10:35pm. local time (1935 GMT) on Saturday “probably with an Iskander-M missile”, it said. The prosecutor’s office has opened a pre-trial investigation into the strike, it said.

Zelenskyy in a statement of video broadcast posted on X social media, said: 

“Today in Kramatorsk, the entire day was spent clearing the rubble after a Russian missile strike. Among the injured were journalists – a Reuters film crew, citizens of Ukraine, America, and Britain. A regular city hotel was destroyed by a Russian “Iskander” missile. Deliberately. Calculated. Seven people were injured, and one person lost their life. My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones.

This is the daily Russian terror that continues because Russia still has the means to continue.

Today, too, Russian strikes targeted our Sumy region –with “KAB” bombs, as well as on Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions. For all of this, the world must not stop exerting pressure on the terrorist state. For missile strikes, for “KAB” bombs, for assaults. In general – for this entire war. Russia must be forced to seek peace.

Today, I want to especially acknowledge our forces who are already holding Russia accountable. With the forces we have and the ones we are constantly strengthening.

Every unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Main Intelligence Directorate, and the Security Service of Ukraine working on our long-range capabilities. Everyone repelling Russian assaults on the front line, especially now in the Donetsk region. Everyone engaged in the defensive operation in Kursk region. I thank all our warriors.

Also, my deepest gratitude to all the manufacturers of our Ukrainian weapons, suppliers of all the essential components, and the developers – each one of you who tirelessly works for Ukraine. We have already showcased “Palianytsia” – our new rocket drone.

More of developments and more of our weapons will follow. While “Palyanytsias” and “Neptunes” can achieve many objectives, there are tasks that only “ATACMS,” “Storm Shadow,” “Scalp,” and other weapons from our partners can fulfill”

Previous day, Zelenskyy said: “In the two and a half years of full-scale war, Russia has launched about 10,000 missiles of various types and more than 33,000 glide bombs at Ukraine. Stopping attacks on our cities can be achieved by targeting the carriers of this weaponry—Russian aircraft stationer at military airfields.

Yesterday, the first successful combat use of our new weapon—the Ukrainian long-range rocket drone “Palianytsia”—took place. It was designed domestically to destroy the enemy’s offensive potential.

The number of rocket drones production will grow just like our long-range strike drones production did, whose efficiency we see almost daily”

On Independence day, President Zelenskyy said; “Another 115 of our defenders have returned home today. These are warriors of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the Navy, and the State Border Guard Service.

We remember everyone. We are searching for them and making every effort to bring them all back.

I am grateful to each unit that replenishes our exchange fund. This helps to advance the release of our military personnel and civilians from Russian captivity. I thank our team and partners, the UAE, for bringing our people back home.

Today, we celebrate the 33rd Independence Day of Ukraine. We are confident that Ukrainians will always celebrate this holiday in their free capital and within their own sovereign state.

Ukraine will always remain independent—this is beyond question. Together, we have given a historic answer through our unity, courage, and collective effort. The answer to whether Ukraine should exist, and whether Ukrainians should exist.

When external aggression posses such a question to a nation, everything depends on millions of people—each through their actions determines the fate of the entire people, and the entire people, with their collective strength, determines the fate of each individual.

Ukraine, I congratulate you on your Independence Day! Ukrainians, I am proud of you!”