Reuters reports that a journalist covering the conflict in Ukraine has gone missing after an airstrike on a hotel in eastern Ukraine.
A Reuters statement said the six-man team was staying at the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk, a city controlled by Ukraine but not far from the eastern front, when it came under “an apparent missile attack” on Saturday night.
The paper said two team members had been taken to hospital and a further three had been identified, but it was “urgently seeking further information” on the whereabouts of a sixth person.
Ukrainian authorities said it was a Russian missile, but Russia has yet to comment on the attack.
The news agency released footage showing parts of the hotel completely destroyed by the strike, with firefighters clearing the debris.
Vadim Filashkin, governor of the Donetsk region where Kramatorsk is located, said in a Telegram post Sunday morning that emergency responders were at the scene, adding: “Clearing of debris and rescue operations are underway.”
He said the strike caused damage to several nearby buildings and homes.
The Ukrainian prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the hotel was most likely hit by a short-range Iskander-M missile.
Those hospitalized as a result of the blast suffered a variety of injuries, he added.
Kramatorsk is just 20km (12 miles) from Russian-occupied Ukraine and has been subject to regular attacks, with many people, including civilians, killed. Famous Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina.
In recent months, Russian forces have made slow but steady advances in the east amid Russian aggression in Ukraine. It was seen as an attempt to draw troops away from the Eastern Front..
