Russia expresses outrage at Ukraine for use of cluster bombs after journalist's death

A Russian war correspondent of the state-owned news agency RIA Novosti was killed near the front line in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region as a result of what Russia's Defence Ministry said were the injuries resulting from the explosion of US-supplied cluster munitions used by Ukrainian forces. 

Rostislav Zhuravlev was killed in the village of Pytikhatki, and at least three other Russian journalists including from Russian Izvestia newspaper were critically wounded in a Ukrainian artillery attack on Saturday, July 22, the Russian defence ministry said. While the journalists were evacuated from the battlefield, Zhuravlev died on the way. 

Another photojournalist identified as Konstantin Mikhalchevsky of the RIA Novosti agency was also injured as he sustained a wound to his leg. He and other Izvestia journalists were rushed to the hospital in Simferopol, Crimea. 

“As a result of a strike by the Ukrainian army using cluster munitions, four journalists were wounded in various levels of severity,” Russia's military said.

"During an evacuation, the RIA Novosti journalist Rostislav Zhuravlev died from his wounds that resulted from the cluster munitions exploding,” it further said.

Russia lambasts 'those who supplied cluster munitions to Kyiv protégés'

Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova berated Ukraine for what she labelled as the “heinous, premeditated crime” that led to the death of the war correspondent Zhuravlev. She said that Ukraine's army used the artillery strike and cluster munitions against the group of journalists from the Izvestia Information Centre and RIA Novosti news agency. "Zhuravlev and his colleagues received shrapnel wounds of moderate severity and were taken to Russian Defence Ministry field hospitals where they are receiving medical care," Zakharova informed. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson asserted that the death of the journalist was not "accidental" as they were all involved in gathering information about atrocities in the war zone due to the rampant use of US-supplied cluster munition in Zaporizhzhia region which is banned in several countries. 

"We [Russia] has no illusions that specialised international organisations will choose to turn a blind eye to this heinous crime," said Zakharova about the use of cluster bombs. 

“Those responsible for the brutal reprisal against a Russian journalist will inevitably suffer well-deserved punishment. The entire measure of responsibility will be shared by those who supplied cluster munitions to their Kyiv protégés," she added, referring to Washington. 

Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, was reported saying that the cluster bomb attack that claimed the life of a Russian war correspondent "crossed all moral red lines." Deputy Speaker of the Russian upper house of parliament, Konstantin Kosachyov demanded cessation of the use of cluster bombs calling their use "inhumane," and lambasting US and Ukraine for using the internationally-banned weaponry. 

Separately, the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle accused the Russian military of use of cluster bombs, saying that one of its journalists, Yevgeny Shilko, was wounded in Ukraine in an attack that killed a Ukrainian soldier. The broadcaster said that the journalist's life was not in danger and described his condition to be “stable."