Russian journalist killed by shrapnel from Ukrainian drone strike - state TV

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian war correspondent for state television died on Thursday from shrapnel wounds after a drone strike by Ukrainian armed forces in Russian-controlled southeastern Ukraine, state television said.

Russian investigators said Ukraine's armed forces had struck a group of Russian journalists in the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine on Wednesday with fragmentation shells and a drone.

Rossiya 24's Boris Maksudov, 38, suffered a grave shrapnel wound and doctors were unable to save him.

"Boris Maksudov died on 11/23/2023 after being wounded in Zaporizhzhia," state television said. "The day before, the film crew came under fire from the AFU" (Armed Forces of Ukraine).

The All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) expressed its condolences to the family and colleagues of Maksudov.

TASS footage filmed just moments after the attack showed Maksudov moaning on the ground before being carried towards transport.

"Boris Maksudov was hospitalised urgently but the injuries turned out to be fatal," state television said.

Zaporizhzhia is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed since it sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Gareth Jones)