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Russian FPV Drone Targets Latvian Journalists in Ukraine’s Donetsk Region
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A film crew from Latvia’s public broadcaster LSM came under attack from a Russian FPV drone in Ukraine’s Donetsk region while traveling to film a frontline report.
According to the broadcaster on February 10, journalist Odita Krenberga and cameraman Aigars Kovalevskis were heading to the positions of a Ukrainian military unit together with a serviceman named Oleksandr, who is fighting in a Ukrainian airborne brigade. The team was preparing a report about a Latvian volunteer known by the call sign “NATO.”
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“This is the part of Donbas that Putin’s army has failed to capture and is demanding be handed over without a fight,” Oleksandr said.
LSM said the Russian FPV drone detonated near their vehicle at a stretch of road where cars are forced to slow down. The explosion damaged the rear of the car and shattered its windows. No one was injured, as the driver reacted quickly and accelerated away from the blast.
The broadcaster emphasized that its journalists are aware of the risks of working near the front line but said their presence is essential for documenting the realities of the war.
“We highly value the work and courage of our journalists, as independent journalism in this situation serves as an important counterbalance to false and manipulative messages,” said LSM editor-in-chief Anita Brauna.
The incident comes amid continued risks faced by media workers covering the war in Ukraine.
In October 2025, French photojournalist Anthony Lallican was killed near Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region in a Russian FPV drone strike, while Ukrainian journalist and photographer Hryhorii Ivanchenko was wounded in the same attack.
The death was reported on October 3 by Ukraine’s 4th Separate Heavy Mechanized Brigade, which said both journalists were wearing protective vests clearly marked “PRESS” at the time of the strike.
“In a targeted strike by an enemy FPV drone, French photojournalist Anthony Lallican was killed. Journalist and photographer Hryhorii Ivanchenko, working alongside him, was injured. His condition is stable,” the brigade said in a statement.
Earlier, a reporting team from Suspilne Dnipro was targeted by a Russian Shahed drone while covering the aftermath of a strike on a civilian bus transporting miners in Ternivka, Dnipropetrovsk region.
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