### Missile from Rostov Kills Reuters Adviser, Injures Two Journalists in Ukraine

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian security sources have revealed that a missile from Russian forces in the Rostov region was responsible for the deadly attack on a hotel in eastern Ukraine on August 24. The strike claimed the life of Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans and left two journalists from the agency wounded.

Intelligence services in Ukraine disclosed previously unreported details of the missile launch, which originated near the Russian city of Taganrog, close to the Sea of Azov and near the Ukrainian border. The attack, which struck the Sapphire Hotel in Kramatorsk at 22:35 local time, was executed using a Russian Iskander 9M723 ballistic missile launched from the Rostov region area around 22:28 (1928 GMT).

The Ukrainian military has pinpointed that three Russian brigades could have been involved: the 1st Guards rocket brigade of the 49th Army, the 107th Guards rocket brigade of the 35th Army, and the 47th rocket brigade of the 8th Army. However, no precise confirmation has been made about which unit fired the missile.

Images of the hotel post-attack showed significant damage, particularly to the room where Evans, a former British soldier and safety adviser for Reuters since 2022, was staying. The blast caused his room to collapse into the basement, leading to his instantaneous death. Videographer Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey, who was in a room across the corridor, suffered serious injuries, while text correspondent Dan Peleschuk was also injured and later rescued.

The strike did not just affect the Reuters team; a Ukrainian soldier, a watchman, and a nearby civilian were among those hurt by the missile. Kyiv-based senior photographer Thomas Peter managed to escape through a busted first-floor window.

The Donetsk region prosecutor’s office is investigating whether the hotel was a deliberate target, with prosecutors considering the possibility that the group of journalists could have been the intended victims. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed, without evidence, that Evans was a former MI6 employee, a statement dismissed by Reuters as "factually incorrect".

The U.S. has affirmed that Russia was responsible for firing the missile but provided no further details on the source of this information. Kramatorsk, located about 20 km from the frontline, remains within range for Iskander systems based in Taganrog. The missile strike followed an alert from the Ukrainian air force warning of a ballistic missile threat.

Reuters continues its investigative efforts to understand the full scope of the attack while supporting the affected colleagues and their families.