Collage of the photos depicting the journalists Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini. Photos from the media workers’ Facebook pages
Russia’s Federal Security Service has opened a case against Simone Traini, a cameraman with the Italian TV channel RAI who had been reporting from Kursk region with his colleague, the journalist Stefania Battistini, report RAI and the Russian media.
The FSB opened cases against them for illegal crossing of Russia’s border.
RAI took its journalists back to Italy, explaining the move by the need to “guarantee their safety and personal protection.”
It was later reported that Russia’s special services (Russia’s border guard is subordinate to the FSB) had opened a criminal law case against them. Russian resources also reported that the ambassador of Italy had been summoned to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and announced “strong protest regarding the reporters’ actions.” Italy’s Foreign Ministry responded that “Italian journalists are free to act independently of diplomats.” The Italian mass media such as “Corriere del ticino”, “La Stampa”, “Corriere della Sera”, and many others also reported on the news.
Bakhmut, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Sumy, Kyiv, Borodyanka, Bucha, other locations – Italian journalists visit Ukrainian cities that came under Russian fire or had been occupied by Russia, and their reports are seen not just by the RAI audience. Journalists share their experiences on social media. On their personal Facebook pages, Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini are supported by their colleagues, while pro-Russian subscribers call them “the Nazi Kyiv’s propagandists.”