Ukrainian APCs open fire at RT's video agency crew near Kramatorsk

RT's Ruptly video journalists came under fire as their car was targeted near the city of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine. The shooting came from two APCs, the crew said.

According to Ruptly’s producer, the journalists were en route to the town of Dmitrovka, some 30 kilometers from Slavyansk. As they were about 10 kilometers from their final destination, Kiev’s APCs “came out of nowhere” and “opened fire for no apparent reason.”

2 BTRs shoot at our car. We were on the main road and they came from small street. Guns made them think they have more traffic right @Ruptly

— Katica Djurovic (@zoontangmarg) May 15, 2014

A crew of another Russian TV network, Channel 5, was also in the same car. Lucky, the bullets did not hit the vehicle, Ruptly's team said.

Still hot @Ruptly#Ukraine #Donetsk# kramatorsk pic.twitter.com/INi0xdYsVA

— Katica Djurovic (@zoontangmarg) May 15, 2014

So after inspection, our car wasn't hit by bullet. It got broken due to fast turn off the road when they were shooting.

So after inspection, our car wasn't hit by bullet. It got broken due to fast turn off the road when they were shooting. @ruptly#kramatorsk

— Katica Djurovic (@zoontangmarg) May 15, 2014

Just two days ago, Kiev fighters opened fire on journalists from the Russian channel LifeNews in the same area.

“We were driving in a car with 'TV' stickers, indicating our press status. First there was one shot and then machine gun fire,” reporter Oleg Sidyakin told RT at the time.

The shooting involving the Ruptly crew comes less than a week after another RT agency's video journalist, Fyodor Zavaleykov, 23, was shot in the city in Mariupol. On May 9, Zavaleykov was filming an armed assault by Kiev’s army on the local Police HQ, when a bullet hit him through the vest. Suffering a serious abdominal injury, the journalist was treated in Ukraine and transported to Moscow for further treatment on Monday.