A journalist from one of the Russian state media was killed in an accident during a shooting exercise at a military training ground in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, the editorial board announced.
On Friday, quoting Russian news agencies, the media reported that Svetlana Babeva, head of the Crimean branch of the media conglomerate Rossiya Segodnya, “died in one of the military training grounds in Crimea, where shooting exercises were conducted.” details.
Ms Babaïeva has worked for many years in this public conglomerate which notably includes the Ria Novosti press agency or the Sputnik Group, with jobs in London or the United States.
Dmitry Kiselyov, who leads the group and is considered one of the pioneers of the country’s propaganda, paid tribute to the “warm person who strongly supported Russia” and who “wanted to support our heroes” in Ukraine.
He added that Svetlana Babaeva was a “high-level professional with strong journalistic experience”.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov hailed him as a “multi-talented journalist” who was once part of a presidential rally.
“We have worked together for many years,” Peskov told Russian media.
The spokeswoman for Russian diplomacy, Maria Zakharova, or even officials of the Russian occupation in Ukraine also praised the journalist’s memory on social media.
Born in 1972, Svetlana Babaeva began working in Segodnya Russia shortly after the controversial reform that saw the Russian state tighten its grip on the conglomerate. Since 2019, she has been his correspondent in Simferopol, in Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Russia that today serves as a rear base for its offensive in Ukraine.
