KYIV, Ukraine, May  10, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Messages of grief poured in
Wednesday following the death of AFP journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine, paying
tribute to his bravery in covering Europe's worst conflict since World War II.

He was killed when an AFP team came under fire by Grad rockets while they
were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, the epicentre of the
fighting for months.

His death brings to at least 11 the number of journalists, fixers or
drivers for media teams killed since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year
ago, according to advocacy groups.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Wednesday paid tribute to
Soldin's "courage" and described his work as "essential" to understanding the
facts around the war in Ukraine.

"Arman was a talented and courageous journalist and his death is obviously
devastating for those who knew him," said UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's
spokesman.

"Journalism continues to shine a light in the darkness of this war, and
Arman's work was vital to that."

Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko blamed Russia for Soldin's
death and said those responsible must be held accountable.

"Our condolences to Arman's family and friends, and gratitude for his
courage," he said in a post on social media.

French prosecutors announced they had launched a war crime investigation
into the circumstances surrounding his death.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region where Bakhmut lies and
which has been partially controlled by Kremlin-backed forces for years, offered
his condolences to Soldin's friends and family.

- 'Tell the truth' -

"I thank everyone who -- risking their own lives -- continues to tell the
truth about our war," he said.

Soldin, a French citizen born in Bosnia, once said he was drawn to telling
stories of people displaced by fighting, stemming from his family's experience
fleeing conflict.

The Bosnian member of the country's tripartite presidency, Denis Becirovic,
condemned Soldin's killing, describing his death as a "great loss" and a
"painful reminder" of the risks undertaken by frontline journalists.

"At the cost of his own safety, he had been travelling to the front lines
since day one, doing his job as a journalist, establishing the facts and
showing images of the destruction and suffering in Ukraine," Becirovic said.

Phil Chetwynd, AFP's global news director, said Wednesday "we are all
incredibly shocked at AFP this morning" and that news of Soldin's death was
"incredibly painful".

"He's someone who understood the risks but really wanted to tell the story,
in particular the human story of what was happening on the ground in Ukraine,"
he added.

"It was the commitment to that story that took him back to the front again
and again and again."

Apart from journalism, Soldin was also passionate about football and as a
teenager, played for the Stade Rennais between 2006 and 2008.
The Rennes-based football club said it had learned of his passing "with
great sadness".

- 'Bravery' -

The Commission de la Carte d'Identité des Journalistes Professionnels
(CCIJP), a French organisation for media professionals, said it was "extremely
saddened" to hear of Soldin's death.

He is the third French reporter to lose his life since the beginning of the
Russian invasion in February 2022, the CCIJP said.

The Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, denounced Soldin's killing
and urged parties of the conflict to adhere to international law.

"I condemn the attack that killed video journalist Arman Soldin and call
for an investigation to identify the circumstances of his death," she said.
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Soldin on Twitter, applauding his
"bravery".

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the
world was "indebted" to the journalists who lost their lives covering the
conflict.

The Kremlin told reporters on Wednesday it was saddened to hear reports of
Arman's killing but that the circumstances of his death remained unclear.
"We need to understand the circumstances of the death of this journalist,"
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.