Russian state journalist killed by ‘stray bullet’ at Crimea base

Svetlana Babayeva was head of the Rossiya Segodnya media group’s bureau in Simferopol, Crimea’s second-largest metropolis.

Russian troopers march as an area waves a Russian flag exterior a navy base within the village of Perevalne, exterior Simferopol, Crimea in 2014 [File: Ivan Sekretarev/AP]

A Russian feminine journalist working for a number one Kremlin-backed media group has died in a capturing accident at a navy coaching floor in Russian-occupied Crimea, Moscow-installed officers and state media shops have reported.

Svetlana Babayeva, who was killed on Friday, headed up the Russian state-owned Rossiya Segodnya media group’s bureau in Simferopol, the second-largest metropolis on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

RIA Novosti, a Russian information company and subsidiary of Rossiya Segodnya, reported on Friday that Babayeva was killed by a stray bullet throughout capturing observe at a navy coaching floor.

No additional particulars of the journalist’s killing had been supplied. Professional-Kremlin figures paid tribute to Babayeva in social media posts.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian governor of Crimea, known as her demise an irrevocable loss.

“Svetlana did an incredible deal to convey to the general public the reality about what's going on in Kherson area,” stated Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-backed head of Ukraine’s southern, primarily Russian-occupied Kherson area.

Russia’s Overseas Affairs Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on her Telegram web page: “I like you very a lot, Sveta.”

Ukraine has sanctioned the Rossiya Segodnya media group, calling its CEO Dmitry Kiselyov “the central determine of presidency propaganda supporting the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine”.

In an announcement posted by RIA Novosti, Kiselyov stated Babayeva was a “heat particular person, who strongly supported Russia,” and “wished to help our heroes”.

Babayeva was beforehand bureau chief for RIA Novosti in the UK and United States, and editor of the Gazeta.Ru web site, the company stated. Gazeta.Ru paid tribute to their former editor-in-chief who they stated was a “skilled of the very best normal”.

Руководитель «России сегодня» в Симферополе и экс-главред «Газеты.Ru» Светлана Бабаева погибла в результате несчастного случая

Трагедия произошла на учебном полигоне в Крыму, где журналистка занималась военно-спортивной стрельбой.

Наша редакция выражает свои соболезнования. pic.twitter.com/p99LAAqnLR

— Газета.Ru (@GazetaRu) October 28, 2022

Russia continued its crackdown on impartial journalists on Friday declaring Natalya Sindeyeva, head of the TV channel Dozhd, a “overseas agent” together with two journalist colleagues.

The names of Sindeyeva, Vladimir Romensky and Ekaterina Kotrikadze appeared on the most recent Russian justice ministry record of “overseas brokers”.

The three had been added due to their “political actions”, the ministry stated.

Launched in 2008, TV Dozhd coated Russia’s opposition and protest actions and final yr, the channel itself was labelled a “overseas agent”.

All essential impartial media shops in Russia, together with radio station Echo of Moscow and Dozhd TV, have been shut down or have suspended their operations within the nation.

Dozhd wound up its Russia operations and suspended broadcasting from Russia with an emotional present on March 3, lower than two weeks after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

The channel resumed broadcasting on July 18 from studios in neighbouring Latvia.

For the reason that begin of the struggle in Ukraine, Russia has launched a regulation offering for as much as 15 years in jail for spreading details about the navy deemed false by the authorities, corresponding to calling the invasion of Ukraine a struggle, which the Kremlin has ordered be known as a “particular navy operation”.