UK govt. praises 'vital' role of slain AFP journalist in Ukraine
AFP journalist Arman Soldin, who was killed by rocket fire in Ukraine, played a "vital" role in covering the conflict, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Arman was a talented and courageous journalist and his death is obviously devastating for those who knew him," he told reporters.
"Journalism continues to shine a light in the darkness of this war, and Arman's work was vital to that.
"Of course any death in this needless invasion is tragic, and our thoughts remain with all those who have lost loved ones during this conflict."
Soldin, 32, and his AFP colleagues came under fire by Grad rockets on Tuesday while they were with Ukrainian troops near Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
He was killed when a rocket struck near where he was lying. The rest of the team was uninjured.
Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson -- a staunch supporter of Ukraine and its President Volodymyr Zelensky -- paid his own tribute to Soldin.
"It's devastating to hear of the death of Arman Soldin, and I send my condolences to his family, friends and colleagues," Johnson, a former journalist, wrote on Twitter.
"It's a reminder of the mortal danger faced by journalists covering conflicts worldwide."
Soldin, who had been at AFP since 2015, was based at the agency's London office before becoming part of a special team covering the conflict last year.
The Foreign Press Association in London said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" at his death.
Source: Agence France Presse
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