Ukraine strips UK journalist of accreditation for 'inciting attack'

The Ukrainian Security Council has withdrawn accreditation for freelance British journalist Kitty Logan because she allegedly encouraged the Lugansk people’s militia to shoot at Ukrainian army positions. Logan has denied the claims.

“We’re also considering a ban to enter Ukraine for her,” the Security Council’s press secretary Yelena Gitlyanskaya posted on her Facebook page.

A day earlier, Logan’s photos on Facebook caused outrage online, as some users possibly wrongly interpreted her post as evidence that her remark had triggered a massive  shootout between the Lugansk militia and the Ukrainian army.

In the post, Logan described how one of the commanders asked her if they should open fire so that the journalists could film it.

She hesitated, but the commander went on to saying that they “needed to shell them anyway” as they had shelled the militia’s positions earlier.

“Okay, why not then,” Logan wrote, and it’s unclear if that's what she told the commander, or just an ironic remark.

Later, she added that she felt a bit guilty.

On Twitter, Logan posted that she is a journalist with “a neutral position” and would “never ask anyone to shoot anything other than pictures.”