LIVE – War in Ukraine: War crimes trial opens in France after AFP journalist’s death

Death of French journalist Armand Sold

Agence France-Presse video coordinator in Ukraine Armand Soldin was killed in a Russian rocket attack near the besieged town of Baghmoud in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon.

Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to him in the evening. “An Agence France-Presse journalist, one of our comrades, Armand Soldin, was killed in Ukraine. From the first hours of the conflict, with courage, he was at the forefront of establishing the facts. To inform us,” he tweeted. French President.

Shortly afterwards, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry offered its “sincere condolences to his family and colleagues”, adding on the same social network: “He devoted his life to reporting the truth to the world”.

“The world owes Armaan,” and White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, responded for her role to “another 10 reporters and media personnel” who covered the conflict. “Our hearts go out to the family of Arman Soldin, who lost his life today on the front lines of war in Ukraine, and to his colleagues at the AFP,” he said in a statement. The foundation of a free society”.

For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said he was “devastated” by the news of the journalist’s disappearance.