Reuters news agency says one of its journalists covering the war in Ukraine has gone missing after an attack on a hotel in the east of the country.
In a statement, Reuters said its team of six was staying at the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk – a Ukrainian-controlled city not far from the eastern frontline – on Saturday night when it was “hit by a rocket”.
Two members of the group were taken to hospital, while three others are still being treated – but they are “urgently seeking further information” on the whereabouts of the sixth person, the source said.
Ukrainian authorities said it was a Russian missile, but Russia has yet to comment on the attack.
The news agency released footage showing parts of the hotel completely destroyed by the airstrike, while firefighters were trying to search through the rubble.
Vadym Filashkin, governor of the Donetsk region, which includes Kramatorsk, said in a Telegram post on Sunday morning that emergency services were at the scene, adding: “Debris removal and rescue work is still underway.”
He added that several nearby buildings and houses were also damaged in the attack.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office wrote in a statement that the hotel was likely attacked with an Iskander-M short-range missile.
The report added that those hospitalized suffered various injuries from the blast.
Kramatorsk is only about 20km (12 miles) from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine and has been frequently attacked, killing civilians, including famous Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina.
The Russian military has been making slow but steady advances in the east in recent months, with Ukraine’s recent offensive into Russia seen as an attempt to draw troops away from the eastern front..
