1 in critical state as  missile hits German tv crew 

Admin I Monday, Jan.01, 2024

KIEV- A German ZDF television crew was hit by a Russian missile attack on a hotel in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, the broadcaster said.

Out of the seven-person team, the Ukrainian translator was hit by debris and seriously injured while a security guard was also hurt on Saturday.

“This is another attack by Russia on the free press. We hope that the injured colleagues will recover quickly,” ZDF editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten said in a statement.

The hotel is often used by foreign journalists because it has a bunker. The Russian army has repeatedly shelled hotels in Ukraine where journalists or volunteers are staying, including in the cities.

According to Ukrainian reports, 28 people have been injured in several recent rocket attacks on Kharkiv.

The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed missiles had been fired at the hotel, with a spokesman saying representatives of the Ukrainian secret services had planned to fire on the Russian city of Belgorod from there.