A former New York Times reporter and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Brent Renaud, was killed when troops opened fire on a vehicle carrying foreign journalists in the Ukraine city of Irpen.
The Kyiv police chief identified the troops as Russian. No independent confirmation was forthcoming.
New York Times:
Mr. Renaud had contributed to The Times in previous years, most recently in 2015, but he was not on assignment for the company in Ukraine. Early reports that he was working for The Times in Ukraine circulated because he was found with a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment years ago.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death,” said Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokeswoman for The Times. “Brent was a talented filmmaker.”
Our Nieman Fellow Brent Renaud was gifted and kind, and his work was infused with humanity. He was killed today outside Kiev, and the world and journalism are lesser for it. We are heartsick. https://t.co/ZbQWAtiGp4
— Ann Marie Lipinski (@AMLwhere) March 13, 2022
Renaud’s death occurred in an area of heavy shelling by both sides, as Russia’s targeting of civilians is leading to a growing list of casualties and Ukraine’s desperation to stop the Russian advance is putting more civilians at risk.
Mr. Renaud often worked with his brother, Craig Renaud, and won a Peabody award for a Vice News documentary about a school in Chicago. The two have worked on film and television projects from conflict zones and hot spots around the world.
Over the past decade, the brothers had covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the earthquake in Haiti, cartel violence in Mexico and youth refugees in Central America, according to their website.
Biden national security advisor Jake Sullivan called the death of Renaud “a shocking and horrifying event.”
The Hill:
“It is one more example of the brutality of [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and his forces as they targeted schools and mosques and hospitals and journalists, and it is why we are working so hard to impose severe consequences on him and to try to help the Ukrainians with every form of military assistance we can muster to be able to push back against the onslaught of these Russian forces,” he added.
All well and good, but how certain are we that Russian troops were responsible for Renaud’s death? From what we’ve seen on the pro-Ukraine side, if the reporters had been caught in a crossfire and there was the possibility that Renaud was hit with a round from a Ukrainian rifle, how much interest would there be from the Ukrainian or American government to reveal the truth?
It’s likely that Renaud was hit with fire from a Russian unit. But until we’re sure, why push a potentially false narrative?
It goes to the first casualty in war and the dictates of politics. Both Biden and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky need an enemy. And the more villainous and barbarous the enemy is, the better it is politically for both men.
Source: PJ Media
