Filmmaker and Former NY Times Journalist Brent Renaud Killed In Ukraine 

On Sunday morning, filmmaker and reporter Brent Renaud was confirmed to have been killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Peabody-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer was only 50 years old.

His death is just another one of the hundreds of casualties of the war, which has left millions of Ukrainians displaced as they seek refuge and safety in neighboring countries.

On Sunday morning, Jewish Breaking News reported that Russian troops had fired on a group of journalists near Kyiv, killing U.S. citizen and filmmaker Brent Renaud. Other injuries were confirmed. The outlet also posted a picture of his passport and his The New York Times press badge for confirmation.

Later that morning, The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the news. The New York Times managing editor Cliff Levy clarified in a tweet that Renaud “Was not on assignment for any desk” at the time of his death.

A member of Kyiv’s regional police force, Andriy Nebytov, confirmed that Renaud had been killed in the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, which has experienced heavy shelling by Russian military forces in the past week.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of Brent Renaud’s death,” the outlet said in a tweet. “Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker who contributed to The New York Times over the years. Though he had contributed to The Times in the past (most recently in 2015), he was not on assignment for any desk at The Times in Ukraine. Early reports that he worked for Times circulated because he was wearing a Times press badge that had been issued for an assignment many years ago.”

Cliff Levy added, “@nytimes is deeply saddened to learn of the death of an American journalist in Ukraine, Brent Renaud. Brent was a talented photographer and filmmaker, but he was not on assignment for @nytimes in Ukraine. Full statement is here.”

“Brent's death is a terrible loss,” he continued. “Brave journalists like Brent take tremendous risks to bear witness and to tell the world about the devastation and suffering caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”

On Sunday morning, award-winning PBS correspondent Jane Ferguson tweeted, “Just left roadside spot near Irpin where body of American journalist Brent Renaud lay under a blanket. Ukranian medics could do nothing to help him by that stage. Outraged Ukranian police officer: ‘Tell America, tell the world, what they did to a journalist.’”

The Times also reported that Ukraine’s Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said that Renaud “paid with his life for attempting to expose the insidiousness, cruelty, and ruthlessness of the aggressor.”

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for The Times, also expressed a statement saying that she was “saddened” to learn of Renaud’s death and that he was a “talented filmmaker.”

Renaud often collaborated with his brother Craig Renaud, as they covered conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also covered the earthquake in Haiti and the youth refugee crisis in Central America. The two brothers won a Peabody Award in 2015 for the Vice News documentary Last Chance High. They had also produced work for HBO, NBC, Discovery, and PBC.

Sadly, Renaud isn't the only individual in the entertainment industry to pass away. Ukrainian actor Pasha Lee was also killed amid Russian shelling in Irpin.

Lee appeared in the 2012 dramedy “Zvychayna Sprava,” 2016’s action-comedy “Selfie Party,” 2017’s sports-action film “The Fight Rules” and 2019’s “Meeting of Classmates.” He also served as a host on the DOM channel and had dubbing voice roles in “The Lion King” and “The Hobbit.” Lee had also appeared in the 2021 TV drama “Provincial.”

Lee is reported to have joined the Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to help defend his country against the ongoing Russian invasion, which started in late February.

Only one day before his death, he shared a snap of him in his military gear. The caption, which has been translated into English, reads, “For the last 48 hours there is an opportunity to sit down and take a picture of how we are being bombed, and we are smiling because we will manage and everything will be UKRAINE ?? WE ARE WORKING !!!”

The suburbs of Kyiv, including Irpin, have been cut off from electricity, water, and heating since Russian forces invaded the city. At least four civilian casualties were a result of shelling near the bridge at Irpin as they attempted to flee the conflict, as per The New York Times. The civilian death toll is believed to be much higher, but the difficulty of obtaining bodies from Russian-occupied areas makes determining a death toll difficult.

Many citizens from all over the world have volunteered their services to help fight off the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The official Instagram of Ukraine showed off a photo of the International Legion of Defence of Ukraine, which included a group of volunteers from the United States, the U.K., Sweden, Lithuania, Mexico, and India in Kyiv.