Ivan Lubysh-Kirdey, a camera operator for Reuters, was severely injured during a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk on Aug. 24. However, according to his wife, Mariia Semenchenko, he has now regained consciousness and started speaking.
Semenchenko shared on Facebook that Lubysh-Kirdey is now able to recognize everyone, answer simple questions, and remember many things. However, due to a broken jaw and the medications he is taking, he still finds it difficult to speak.
Last week, Semenchenko had mentioned that Lubysh-Kirdey had come out of a coma and was taken off the ventilator, but at that time, he had not yet fully regained consciousness.
Lubysh-Kirdey is an experienced camera operator who has covered major events such as the EuroMaidan Revolution and the Battle of Ilovaisk in 2014. During the Battle of Ilovaisk, Ukrainian soldiers who had been promised safe passage by Russian-backed proxies through a pre-agreed corridor came under attack.
The strike on the Safir (Sapphire) Hotel in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, resulted in the death of British national Ryan Evans, a security adviser for Reuters, and injured six others, including two local female residents. One other journalist for Reuters was also among the injured. In a statement, Reuters said that a six-person team had been staying at the hotel when it was hit.
Currently, the city of Kramatorsk is located around 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the front line.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com