MOSCOW, September 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the family and friends of Andrei Stenin, the photojournalist of the Russian state-run Rossiya Segodnya (formerly RIA Novosti) news agency who was killed in Ukraine, the presidential press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, said on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Rossiya Segodnya Director General Dmitry Kiselyov said Andrei Stenin had been killed in Ukraine a month ago, which has been confirmed by an expert examination.

Foreign Ministry demands thorough investigation

“The information, made public by the Rossiya Segodnya news agency that is also based on the forensic examination of Stenin’s remains, carried out by the Russian Investigative Committee, suggests that this was another barbarous murder — the work of Ukrainian security forces and the National Guard fighters who controlled, according to eyewitnesses, the territory in which cars came under fire, including the vehicle in which Andrei Stenin’s body was found,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We demand that Kiev conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the murder of Andrei Stenin and severely punish those responsible,” the ministry added.

Andrei Stenin reported missing

The last reports from Stenin who for the past several months was working in the armed conflict zone in the southeast of Ukraine, came on August 5. Two days later, Rossiya Segodnya confirmed that the journalist was missing.

Protest actions have been staged for the release of photojournalist who was considered abducted by Ukrainian security forces. Many media outlets have placed on their pages banners, calling for the release of Andrei Stenin.