As the news of the incident emerged, the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and the killing.
"The death of the Russian journalist near Lugansk has shown in its entirety the criminal nature of the forces that launched the military operation in the country's east," said the ministry in a statement.
"We are proud of all journalists who, coming under machine-gun fire, shelling, artillery or aircraft bombs, courageously deliver the truth about what's really happening in Ukraine. It is the very truth authorities in Kiev and various militant groups are afraid of, who have organized real terror towards journalists from Russia," Russia's Foreign Ministry statement says.
The ministry said it was awaiting strong condemnation from all global media outlets.
"We demand Ukrainian authorities immediately carry out an independent investigation into this tragedy and punish the culprits," the statement read.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic condemned the killing of Russian journalists in Ukraine and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The divided UN Security Council, which thus far has failed to produce any joint statement on the unravelling conflict, has also offered its "deepest condolences to the families of all journalists who have been killed while covering the crisis in Ukraine."
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