Matvienko called the attacks on Russian military correspondents Kiev's fear of the truth

Kyiv is afraid of the truth, so it is organizing targeted attacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) against Russian war correspondents. But Russia will make sure that the criminals receive the punishment they deserve. This was stated by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko on January 13 during a meeting with journalists on the occasion of the Day of the Russian Press.

"How important a mission they perform, how significant a role they play in achieving the goals of the SWO [special military operation] is evidenced by the targeted, pinpoint terrorist attacks by the Kiev regime, which is literally hunting reporters. Obviously, Kiev is afraid of the truth," Matviyenko said.

In addition, she pointed to the West's involvement in the crimes of Ukrainian servicemen. According to her, attacks on Russian military correspondents are carried out by the AFU with the "tacit consent" or "connivance" of Western countries, which makes them complicit in the crimes.

Matvienko recalled that Izvestia correspondent Alexander Martemyanov was killed and four others were wounded as a result of the shelling of a civilian car.

"We remember and will remember everyone. We will definitely make sure that the guilty are found, that the criminals are given the punishment they deserve," the Chairwoman of the Council of the Russian Federation concluded.

"As long as we remember, he is a hero": in Donetsk farewelled to Alexander Martemyanov

How the Izvestiya journalist will be remembered by his family, friends and colleagues, and how his murder by Ukrainians is being reacted to in Russia and in the West

Before that, on December 15, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Ukrainian militants responsible for the deaths of Russian journalists, correspondents and cameramen would be punished for their crimes.

Ukrainian militants have repeatedly attacked media representatives. On January 4, Izvestiya military correspondent Alexander Martemyanov was killed when a Ukrainian army drone struck a car on the Donetsk-Gorlovka highway. He died of his wounds. A criminal case was opened under Articles 105, 167 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Murder and attempted murder of two or more persons", "Intentional damage to property").

Earlier, on April 19, 2024, Semyon Eremin, a military correspondent of Izvestia, died in the special operation zone. The journalist was 42 years old. The Investigative Committee (IC) of the Russian Federation said that Eremin died as a result of a targeted attack by the AFU. The agency intends to identify all those involved in the journalist's death.