Ukrainian photographer Maxim Levin keeps a cat near the line of separation from Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine, January 6, 2022. Photo taken January 6, 2022. REUTERS / Stanislav Kozlyuk
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PARIS, June 22 (Reuters) – Ukrainian photographer Maxim Levin was “cold-bloodedly executed” along with his friend Alexei Chernyshov from Russian forces north of Kyiv on March 13th, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reported in a 16-page report on Wednesday. .
“The evidence against Russian forces is enormous,” the press freedom group said in an introduction to the report on its website.
Reuters could not independently verify the report’s findings. Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Born in 1981, Levin was a documentary filmmaker and occasionally covered Reuters since 2013. He disappeared on March 13, the day the RSF said he was executed. Read more
John Pullman, global managing editor of visual images at Reuters, told Levin in April: “His death is a huge loss to the world of journalism. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.”
RSF said it had examined evidence at the scene, including bullets and Levin’s burned-out car, as well as photos taken of Levin and Chernyshov’s bodies when they were found on April 1st.
The report says Chernyshov’s body condition and other evidence suggest he may have been burned alive and Levin may have been killed by one or two shots at close range. It says a photo of his body shows three visible bullets.
RSF gathered evidence from May 24 to June 3.
Ukrainian prosecutors say Levin was killed by two small arms fire by members of the Russian armed forces. Reuters was unable to verify this information independently.
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Edited by Howard Goller
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