Russia is hoping that the death of Russian citizen Andrei Mironov and Italian citizen Andrea Rochelli will be immediately investigated in Ukraine.
“The head of the OSCE Secretariat, including the special
representative on freedom of the media, have already urged an immediate
investigation into this event. Work is already being done on that. I
hope that, unlike what happened in other incidents, measures will be
taken as promptly as possible,” Lavrov said.
The minister said that “the main thing for us is to ensure the
transportation of the bodies.” He said the Russian authorities are
closely working with Italian officials on that. The minister said the
best way would be to carry the bodies by plane, but it currently cannot
be done for security reasons.
“We and our Italian colleagues have reached agreements with the help
of our establishments in Ukraine and local authorities on the technical
aspect of the transportation of the bodies by ground transport, We have
transport equipped for this purpose,” Lavrov said.
However, Lavrov said that “transportation by ground transport is
currently not safe due to the continuing fighting.” The minister said
OSCE officials are now working on ensuring safety guarantees for the
transport carrying the bodies.
A group of foreign journalists came under fire in the area of the
village of Andriivka near Sloviansk on May 24. Italian photographer
Andrea Rochelli and his interpreter Andrei Mironov, a citizen of Russia,
were killed in that attack. Mironov was a member of the human rights
center Memorial and one of the last Soviet political prisoners.
According to the French embassy in Kyiv, a French journalist was also
hurt near Sloviansk.
The Italian Foreign Ministry has demanded that Ukraine conduct an
in-depth investigation into this event. Diplomatic efforts are being
made on both sides to take the bodies from Sloviansk.
