A cameraman for Fox News was killed near Kyiv while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the same attack that injured another journalist, the network announced on Tuesday.
Fox News Media CEO Suzanne Scott revealed the tragic loss of cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski in a message to colleagues. According to Mediaite, the message in its entirety stated:
It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we share the news this morning regarding our beloved cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski. Pierre was killed in Horenka, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine.
Pierre was with Benjamin Hall yesterday newsgathering when their vehicle was struck by incoming fire.
Pierre was a war zone photographer who covered nearly every international story for FOX News from Iraq to Afghanistan to Syria during his long tenure with us. His passion and talent as a journalist were unmatched. Based in London, Pierre had been working in Ukraine since February. His talents were vast and there wasn’t a role that he didn’t jump in to help with in the field – from photographer to engineer to editor to producer – and he did it all under immense pressure among journalists at every media outlet. He was wildly popular – everyone in the media industry who has covered a foreign story knew and respected Pierre.
Last year, he played a key role in getting our Afghan freelance associates and their families out of the country after the U.S. withdrawal. In December at our annual employee Spotlight Awards, Pierre was given the “Unsung Hero” award in recognition of his invaluable work.
Columnist Vanessa Vallejo shared a photo of Mr. Zakrzewski on Twitter.
“@FoxNews cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski has died after his vehicle was struck by incoming fire in Ukraine, on Monday. Fox News journalist @BenjaminHallFNC was with Zakrzewski while newsgathering and was also injured. Hall remains hospitalized. Pray for him,” she tweeted.”
Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall was hospitalized after the same attack that killed Zakrzewski.
“This is a stark reminder for all journalists who are putting their lives on the line every day to deliver the news from a war zone,” Scott said in a statement regarding Hall’s condition, according to The Washington Post.
During a press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told a Fox News reporter that Hall was in the administration’s thoughts.
“Well, let me first say: Your colleague, Benjamin Hall — I know there’s not final reports yet or we would wait for your news organization to confirm those — but our thoughts, the President’s thoughts, our administration’s thoughts are with him, his family, and all of you at Fox News as well,” Psaki said.
