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 Stefania Battistini, a journalist with the Italian TV channel RAI who had reported from Kursk region with her cameraman Simone Traini, 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.

In November 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the Italian journalist Stefania Battistini the Order of Princess Olha (III degree) “for significant personal contribution to enhancing interstate cooperation, support of Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world.” This was reported on the RAI website.

“I am truly honored as a public service journalist to receive the honor that President Zelensky wanted to give me as a war correspondent. This is an important recognition for the work that Tg1 and RAI have done in these 9 months to cover the effects of the Russian invasion in Ukraine on the ground,” Stefania Battistini said in response to the award.

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.”