Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova were killed in shelling on March 15. Along with Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova, Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was also heavily wounded in both legs. Hall ended up in intensive care, and on March 16, he was evacuated from Ukraine.
Pierre Zakrzewski had been working in war zones for 15 years, specifically, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Before his journey to Ukraine, Zakrzewski had covered the situation in the war-torn Afghanistan and helped his fellow journalists to evacuate from the country after the Taliban had gained power. At the annual Fox News Spotlight Awards ceremony in December 2021, Pierre was awarded the Unsung Hero award in recognition of his work.
Pierre Zakrzewski came to Ukraine for the first time during the Revolution of Dignity. Together with his production team, he had been covering the war in the Eastern part of Ukraine. In February 2022, Zakrzewski returned to Ukraine to tell the Fox News audience about Russia's invasion against Ukraine.
24-year-old journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova had been cooperating with the Fox News crew since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. She had managed to cover the horrible consequences of Russian aggression in the Kyiv region.
Oleksandra was born in Kyiv. After having graduated from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University and studying in Harvard, she worked as a spokesperson for the Health Ministry of Ukraine.
Before the full-scale invasion, Oleksandra was engaged in numerous creative projects. She organized jazz festivals for young musicians, worked as a DJ and photographer, wrote poetry and scripts, and had a dream of making her own film.
Apart from working in media, Oleksandra also strived to help those affected by Russian aggression. She had founded ua.life.delivery – a community to connect volunteers from all over Kyiv who deliver humanitarian aid to civilians, medical organizations, and the military.
In a statement from Fox News, Kuvshynova was called a ‘consultant’ of the TV channel, although in fact, she was a producer, and therefore part of the team. In response, Ukrainian human rights activists have called upon international organizations to investigate the working conditions of Ukrainian journalists employed by Western companies, to determine whether they sign official contracts and have insurance in case of injury or death.
