Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff, a French journalist covering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was killed in the eastern European country. He was 32.

Leclerc-Imhoff’s death was confirmed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday evening. France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded a “transparent inquiry be launched as soon as possible to shed full light on the circumstances of this tragedy.”

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Who was Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff?

Not much has been made public about Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff so far. Leclerc-Imhoff, 32, was working with BFM TV, a channel affiliated with CNN. He had reportedly worked with the channel for more than six years.

A statement released from BFM TV revealed that this was Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff’s second trip to Ukraine since the invasion started on February 24, 2022. He was currently “covering a humanitarian operation in an armored vehicle” near Sievierodonetsk, a key city in the Donbas region that is being hotly contested by Russian and Ukrainian forces.

Details about Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff’s personal life, education and family remain unclear.

How did Frederic Leclerc-Imhoff die?

According to the statement released by BFM TV, the 32-year-old was fatally hit by shell shrapnel while covering a Ukrainian evacuation operation. 

However, a social media post from French President Macron read, “Aboard a humanitarian bus, alongside civilians forced to flee to escape Russian bombs, he was fatally shot.”

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Serhiy Haidai, the governor of the Luhansk region, shared the news of Leclerc-Imhoff’s in a Telegram post on Monday. He wrote, “Shrapnel from the shells pierced the vehicle’s armor, fatally wounding an accredited French journalist in the neck who was reporting on the evacuation. The patrol officer was saved by his helmet.”

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said another French journalist was wounded along with a Ukrainian woman who was accompanying them.