UK news crew shot at by Russian 鈥榙eath squad鈥� in Ukraine

The crew, all reporting for Sky News, were attempting to enter a town nearby the capital Kyiv when they were targeted. (Screenshot)
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  • Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on Feb. 24, in what President Vladimir Putin claimed was a 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥�

LONDON: A UK news crew covering the Russian invasion in Ukraine came under fire on Monday in an ambush carried out by a suspected Russian death squad.

The crew, reporting for Sky News, were trying to enter a town near the capital Kyiv when they were attacked.

Two of the five-person team, Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay and cameraman Richie Mockler were hit, the former wounded in the lower back and the latter struck on his body armour.

鈥淲e knew we had to get out to survive, but the incoming fire was intense,鈥� Ramsay said.

鈥淚 do recall wondering if my death was going to be painful. And then I was hit in the lower back. 鈥業鈥檝e been hit鈥� I shouted鈥ut what amazed me was that it didn鈥檛 hurt that bad. It was more like being punched, really.鈥�

The crew took cover in an abandoned factory while their vehicle continued to be shot at, and were later evacuated by Ukrainian police under the cover of darkness.

鈥淚t was strange, but I felt very calm. I managed to put my helmet on, and was about to attempt my escape, when I stopped and reached back into a shelf in the door and retrieved my phones and my press card, unbelievably,鈥� he said.

鈥淩ichie says I then got out of the car and stood up, before jogging to the edge of the embankment and then started running. I lost my balance and fell to the bottom, landing like a sack of potatoes, cutting my face. My armour and helmet almost certainly saved me.鈥�

Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces on Feb. 24, in what President Vladimir Putin claimed was a 鈥渟pecial military operation鈥� to 鈥渄emilitarize and de-Nazify鈥� Ukraine.