AFP reporter Arman Soldin dies in Ukraine's east

Arman Soldin, a video reporter for the French news agency AFP, was killed by roket fire in the east of Ukraine on May 9.

This was reported on Twitter by AFP.

"We are devastated to learn of the death of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in eastern Ukraine today. All of our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones," the post reads.

The agency does not report the circumstances of the journalist's death.

Arman Soldin was killed by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar, according to his colleagues who witnessed the incident. The attack took place on the outskirts of the town near Bakhmut.

According to Lemonde, Arman Soldin and his colleagues from the AFP came under fire while they were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers. The attack happened at around 4:30 pm.

Soldin, 32, was killed when a rocket struck close to where he was lying. The rest of the team was uninjured.

"The whole agency is devastated by the loss of Arman," AFP chairman Fabrice Fries said. "His death is a terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine."

Born in Sarajevo, Soldin was a French national who began working for AFP as an intern in its Rome bureau in 2015 and was later hired in London. He was part of the first AFP team to be sent to Ukraine following the start of Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022, arriving on the following day. Soldin had been living in Ukraine since September, leading the team's video coverage and travelling regularly to the front lines in the east and south.

According to IMI, Arman Soldin is the 57th media worker to die as a result of Russia's aggression, and the 10th journalist to die while reporting.

Photo — AFP