MOSCOW, July 02. /ITAR-TASS/. Chiefs of three largest Russian television broadcasters Oleg Dobrodeyev, Konstantin Ernst and Vladimir Kulistikov have made an open appeal to the leader of self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic Valery Bolotov to assist in the release of TV reporters of Ukrainian Internet television broadcaster Hromadske TV using their authority for this.
“Regardless of mass media’s position, political views of these journalists, their right for fulfilling their professional duties should be ensured for them,” Russian TV chief executives stated.
Bolotov told a news conference in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk on July 1 that Ukrainian TV correspondent Anastasia Stanko and cameraman Ilya Beskorovainy had been detained. He added that investigative actions have been taken against them, “they are in satisfactory condition, and they are treated humanely". Available reports said that they were detained in the Luhansk region in the evening on June 30.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko instructed to do everything possible to release these TV journalists as quickly as possible and “to ensure security of all media people working in the miliatry operation zone".
At least three Russian journalists covering developments in Ukraine’s embattled southeastern regions were killed in June.
Since mid-April, Kiev has been conducting a punitive operation against federalization supporters and militias in Ukraine’s war-torn Southeast, which involves armored vehicles, heavy artillery and attack aviation and has resulted in hundreds of deaths, destruction of buildings and forced tens of thousands to flee Ukraine to Russia.
Fierce military attacks of the pro-Kiev forces on the country’s southeastern regions resumed after Poroshenko, who had been elected in late May and taken office on June 7, decided to end the 10-day ceasefire in the Southeast on Monday. There were numerous reports that the truce had been repeatedly violated by Kiev.