A British journalist working for Fox News has been seriously injured near Kiev after being shot in the leg by shrapnel while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Benjamin Hall, 39, a married father of three from London who has been with the US network since 2015, was in intensive care at the hospital today.
Fox News Media chief executive Suzanne Scott told staff in a memo that bosses have a “minimum level of detail” and teams on the ground are working to find out more about what happened to Mr Hall, whose wife Alicia and three daughters live in London. .
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told another Fox News reporter yesterday at a press conference in Washington, D.C. that “our thoughts, the president’s thoughts, our administration’s thoughts are with him, his family and all of you at Fox News.”
Mr. Hall is a Washington correspondent and seasoned foreign reporter who has previously worked in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Gaza.
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Irina Venediktova said on Facebook that the British journalist received shrapnel wounds in both legs and is in intensive care.
Benjamin Hall, 39, reports for Fox News from Ukraine about the Russian invasion.
Mr Hall has three daughters with his wife, Alicia Meller, an Australian fashion businesswoman.
Benjamin Hall is a married father of three from London who has been with Fox since 2015.
She did not name the journalist, but posted a photo of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter. Ms. Venediktova added that the reporter was in intensive care and was not near the military facility at the time of the explosion.
Mr. Hall covers the US Department of State for Fox News and attended Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire on an income of £38,000 a year before attending Duke University in North Carolina, the University of Richmond in London and the University of the Arts London.
Email sent to Fox News staff about Benjamin Hall’s injuries in Kyiv
From: Fox News Media Executive Director Suzanne Scott.
“Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was shot while gathering news outside Kyiv in Ukraine.
“Right now we have a minimal level of detail, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather more information as the situation quickly evolves.
“The safety of our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and is of paramount importance.
“This is a serious reminder to all journalists who risk their lives every day to bring news from the war zone.
“We will let everyone know as soon as we know more. Please pray for Ben and his family.”
He is a dual citizen of the UK and the US, and in 2015 wrote a book on the history of the Islamic State, Inside ISIS: A Brutal Rise of a Terrorist Army.
The journalist has also worked for the BBC, ITN and Channel 4 and has written for The Times, The Sunday Times, The New York Times and Agence France Presse.
Hall has three young daughters with his wife, Alicia Meller, an Australian fashionista whom he married in 2015. Other Fox News staff remain in Ukraine to cover the war that began on February 24.
Ms Scott told Fox News staff yesterday in an email: “Our correspondent Benjamin Hall was injured while gathering news outside of Kyiv in Ukraine.
“Right now we have a minimal level of detail, but Ben is hospitalized and our teams on the ground are working to gather more information as the situation quickly evolves.
“The safety of our entire team of journalists in Ukraine and the surrounding regions is our top priority and is of paramount importance.
“This is a serious reminder to all journalists who risk their lives every day to bring news from the war zone. We will update everyone as we know more. Please pray for Ben and his family.”
The State Department Correspondents’ Association said in a statement that they were “horrified to learn that our fellow correspondent Benjamin Hall was wounded while covering the war in Ukraine.”
“We know Ben for his warmth, good humor and the highest professionalism,” the message says. “We wish Ben a speedy recovery and urge him to make every effort to protect the journalists who are doing an invaluable service by covering events in Ukraine.”
Defense Department spokesman John Kirby also confirmed at a briefing yesterday that Mr. Hall had been wounded in Ukraine and was being treated at a hospital.
Mr. Hall covers the US State Department for Fox News and is usually located in Washington, DC.
Benjamin Hall is in intensive care and was not near the military installation at the time of the explosion.
Irina Venediktova, Ukraine’s attorney general, did not name the journalist, but posted a photo of a US congressional press pass belonging to a Fox News reporter.
This comes after the Russian military shot and killed former New York Times journalist Brent Renault on Sunday. Mr Renault became the first foreign journalist to be killed in the war after being wounded in the neck in Irpen near Kiev.
Former New York Times journalist Brent Renault was shot and killed by the Russian military on Sunday.
The award-winning director covered the plight of refugees fleeing a suburb that has come under heavy shelling in recent days.
American photographer Juan Arredondo was also shot in the lower back during an attack on the car in which he and Mr. Renault were. According to the medic who arrived at the scene, the Ukrainian, who was in the same car with the Americans, was also wounded.
Mr. Renaud was an accomplished filmmaker who typically worked with his brother Craig in conflict zones around the world, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and cartel violence in Mexico.
According to their website, they were based in New York and Little Rock, Arkansas. It is not known if Craig traveled to Ukraine.
Mr. Renaud received a 2015 Peabody Award for his Vice News documentary about a school in Chicago and has worked for a number of other American media including HBO and NBC.
Other Fox News staff remain in Ukraine to cover the war that began on February 24.
Rescuers work near a shell-damaged residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, this morning.
According to former colleagues, he worked in Ukraine on a “global film project about refugees.”
The New York Times said it was “deeply saddened” by the news that the “talented director” had been killed, although it added that he was not on assignment for the paper.
Early reports suggested that he worked for the publication because he had a press badge with his name on it. The spokesperson said the document was released “many years ago”.
Mr Renault’s death comes just over a week after Sky News chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay was wounded after coming under fire while returning to Kyiv.
A few days earlier, Ukrainian journalist Yevhen Skaum, a cameraman, was killed while shelling a TV tower in Kvove.