Tributes poured in following the death of Arman Soldin near Bakhmut. In France, Emmanuel Macron praised the "courage" of the AFP journalist killed Tuesday in a rocket attack in eastern Ukraine, saying he shared "the pain of his relatives and all his colleagues". "With courage, from the first hours of the conflict he was at the front to establish the facts. To inform us," the head of state wrote on Twitter.

His "tragic death", "while covering the war in Ukraine, reminds us of the courage of all journalists who are committed to informing us at the risk of their lives", also responded Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. At the National Assembly, deputies from all groups rose Tuesday night to applaud in tribute to the journalist.

A journalist with Agence France-Presse, one of our compatriots, Arman Soldin, was killed in Ukraine. With courage, from the first hours of the conflict he was at the front to establish the facts. To inform us. We share the pain of his loved ones and all his colleagues.

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) May 9, 2023

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The French political class, from all sides, expressed its emotion. "We read their words, we see their images, we hear their voices. Behind every article and every report, there are women and men who risk their lives to inform us. Arman Soldin was one of them," reacted on Twitter the MEP Stéphane Séjourné, secretary general of the presidential party Renaissance.

The socialist mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said she was "very moved by this terrible news" and expressed "a thought for all the journalists who work on all fronts to inform us all over the world". "All my support to journalists from countries at war who inform us all over the world, sometimes at the risk of their lives," also tweeted the leader of the deputies La France insoumise, Mathilde Panot.

"Immense emotion to learn tonight the death of a French journalist, Arman Soldin, who died in the exercise of his profession, in Ukraine," also reacted the boss of the deputies of the National Rally Marine Le Pen.

Antony Blinken "devastated"

Internationally, Kiev also reacted to this tragic death. Ukraine's Defense Ministry offered its "sincere condolences to his family and colleagues" on Twitter, adding: "He dedicated his life to reporting the truth to the world."

Washington, for its part, considers that "the world owes a debt to Arman" Soldin and to "the 10 other reporters and media workers who lost their lives" while covering the conflict. "Our thoughts are with the family of Arman Soldin, who lost his life today on the front line of the war in Ukraine, and his colleagues at AFP," White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said, recalling that "journalism is one of the foundations of a free society."

For his part, during a speech at Freedom House, a think tank in Washington, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was "devastated" by this news. "Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones as well as the entire AFP family," he added, recalling that "so many journalists work to expose and report the truth in extremely dangerous conditions."

  • War in Ukraine
  • World
  • Video
  • Bakhmut
  • Journalist