Russia opens criminal probe into Italian journalists who entered Kursk
Moscow: Russia open a criminal investigation Saturday in two parts Italian journalist who reported Offensive to Ukraine In the Kursk region, they are accused of illegally crossing the border.
Italian public broadcaster RAI aired a report on Wednesday showing journalists driving into the region with the Ukrainian army.
Kiev has been conducting a major cross-border ground offensive in the Kursk region since August 6.
Russia’s FSB security service said it had opened a case against “foreign journalists Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini, who illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation”, according to the RIA news agency.
It said the journalists “carried out video shooting in the settlement area of Sudzha”, a town in the region that Ukrainian forces claim to control.
Italian journalists were shown driving past Russian road signs in an armored vehicle before reaching Sudza, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border, where a journalist spoke to local people.
Russia summoned the Italian ambassador to Moscow, Cecilia Piccioni, to protest the report on Friday.
An Italian foreign ministry spokesman told AFP that Piccioni explained during the meeting that RAI, “and especially the editorial teams, plan their activities completely free and independently”.
Italian public broadcaster RAI aired a report on Wednesday showing journalists driving into the region with the Ukrainian army.
Kiev has been conducting a major cross-border ground offensive in the Kursk region since August 6.
Russia’s FSB security service said it had opened a case against “foreign journalists Simone Traini and Stefania Battistini, who illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation”, according to the RIA news agency.
It said the journalists “carried out video shooting in the settlement area of Sudzha”, a town in the region that Ukrainian forces claim to control.
Italian journalists were shown driving past Russian road signs in an armored vehicle before reaching Sudza, about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border, where a journalist spoke to local people.
Russia summoned the Italian ambassador to Moscow, Cecilia Piccioni, to protest the report on Friday.
An Italian foreign ministry spokesman told AFP that Piccioni explained during the meeting that RAI, “and especially the editorial teams, plan their activities completely free and independently”.