Anton Bondarenko, 26, Ukrainian fixer for the French TV channels TF1 and LCI, was killed in combat, reports TF1 Info.
Bondarenko had worked with reportres of the two media outlets since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He was a guide, interpreter, and companion for filming crews during trips to combat zones, helping them report on the war for the international community. He later decided to enlist in the Ukrainian army.
TF1 journalist Charline Hurel recalled that it was thanks to Anton that her crew was able to show the world the lives of Ukrainians under the constant threat of shelling and occupation.
“You allowed us to document this horrific war. You opened the doors of your country to me so I could better understand it. Thanks to you, we were able to give a voice to all those who live under the constant threat of death,” wrote Charline Hurel in an Instagram post.
She said that Anton Bondarenko could not watch people die and decided to defend his country.
“Your joy of life seemed to be a bulwark against death, until a Russian drone cut short all the years you still had to live. … You were a ray of sunshine in the darkness … Rest in peace, my Anton,” the journalist wrote.
TF1 and LCI expressed condolences to the late man’s family and called his work irreplaceable for journalists covering the war in Ukraine.
