Italian reporters to return home, following Russian anger at Kursk report
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A photo taken during a media tour organised by Ukraine on Aug 16 shows a man examining a damaged road sign with directions to Ukraine and Russia, at a destroyed border crossing.
PHOTO: AFP
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ROME - Two Italian journalists who angered Moscow with a TV report from Ukrainian-held parts of Russia’s Kursk region will return to Italy, said state broadcaster RAI on Aug 17.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Italy’s ambassador
“The company decided to make journalist Stefania Battistini and cameraman Simone Traini return temporarily to Italy, solely to ensure personal safety and security,” RAI said.
Baza, a Telegram channel close to Russian law enforcement, had said the interior ministry was planning to open criminal cases against the two journalists.
A four-person RAI crew, working under Ukrainian military escort, produced the first foreign media report from the war-damaged Russian town of Sudzha, which was taken last week during Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk.
The two reporters are scheduled to fly back to the northern Italian city of Milan on Aug 18.
Neither Ms Battistini, who appeared live from Kyiv on the Aug 17 edition of the TG1 news programme, nor Mr Traini were available for comment.
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said its ambassador, Ms Cecilia Piccioni, had explained to the Russian authorities that RAI and its news teams acted independently and autonomously.
RAI union Usigrai and Italy’s national press union FNSI said in a joint statement: “Journalism is not a crime. The Moscow authorities’ possibility of putting Stefania Battistini and Simone Traini on trial is unacceptable. Reporting is not done with prior authorisations.” REUTERS
