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Russian, Italian diplomats exchange condolences over journalist’s and interpreter’s deaths

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday the death of Andy Rocchelli outside Sloviansk in the Donetsk region

MOSCOW, May 25. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian and Italian Foreign Ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Federica Mogherini exchange condolences over the death of an Italian journalist and his Russian interpreter in Ukraine and called for an immediate end to the “anti-terrorist” operation in Ukraine’s eastern regions, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Sunday.

The telephone conversation was initiated by the Italian side, the ministry said.

“Sergei Lavrov and Federica Mogherini called to put an end to violence in Ukraine’s southeastern regions and an immediate end to the so-called ‘anti-terrorist operation’ unleashed by the Kiev authorities,” the ministry noted.

{history:1956:'Read also':'right':'50'}The incident with the Italian journalist

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday the death of Andy Rocchelli outside Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.

Rocchelli, 30, was specializing in “trouble spots” across the world. He made photo reports from Afghanistan, Libya and Algeria.

On Saturday, the Ukrainian media reported that Rocchelli together with his French colleague and translator had come under mortar fire in the south of Sloviansk surrounded by the Ukrainian military.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini requested the Ukrainian authorities on Sunday to clarify the circumstances, in which Italian photographer Andy Rocchelli had been killed in the east Ukrainian city of Sloviansk.

“We’re requesting you to clarify within the shortest time possible the circumstances of the attack that killed an Italian citizen,” the Italian minister of foreign affairs said in an official statement.

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Ukraine Sergey Lavrov Eastern Ukraine Italy Freedom of speech Journalism

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