Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, fixer Oleksandra Kuvshynova killed in Ukraine
A veteran Fox News cameraman and a local Ukrainian fixer were killed in the same attack outside Kyiv that injured one of the network’s top correspondents, Fox said Tuesday.
Cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, 24, were with Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall when their vehicle came under fire Monday in Horenka, a northwest suburb of Kyiv, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott said in a statement.
“Today is a heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news,” Scott said.
Hall — who was “extremely close” to Zakrzewski, according to a colleague — was hurt in the attack and hospitalized.
Zakrzewski was a seasoned conflict photographer, having worked for Fox in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
“He was profoundly committed to telling the story and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet,” Scott said.
Amy Kellogg, Fox’s senior foreign-affairs correspondent, told The Post on Tuesday, “Pierre was universally loved.”
She said she worked closely with Zakrzewski for about 15 years as a foreign correspondent.
“I was with him in a lot of hot spots. He was never a cowboy — he always took lots of precautions,” she said.
“He loved what he did more than anyone I’ve ever met.
“He was a knight, he was a gentleman, he was a prince” who “never got hardened” by what he saw in his work, Kellogg said.
She said her phone has been ringing “non-stop” since news broke of the photographer’s death, with both colleagues and subjects who Zakrzewski had photographed calling to express their sorrow.
“We’re all really devastated,” she said.
Kellogg added that Zakrzewski and Hall were “extremely close.”
Zakrzewski helped Afghans who worked for Fox News during the US military campaign in Afghanistan escape the country after the Taliban overran the American-backed government, Scott said.
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
“Last year he played a key role in getting our Afghan freelance associates and their families out of the country after the US withdrawal,” Scott wrote.
Kuvshynova was serving as a consultant for Fox News at the time, helping reporters navigate the Kyiv region, gather information and connect with sources, Scott said.
“Several of our correspondents and producers spent long days with her reporting the news and got to know her personally,” Scott said. “[they described] her as hard-working, funny, kind and brave.”
The journalists’ deaths come days after award-winning journalist and former New York Times contributor Brent Renaud, 51, was killed by Russian forces near Kyiv while sitting in his vehicle after passing through a checkpoint.
