Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - Messages of grief poured in Wednesday after the death of AFP journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine, paying tribute to his bravery in covering Europe’s worst conflict since World War II.

Soldin was killed when an AFP team came under fire by Grad rockets while they were with a group of Ukrainian soldiers near Bakhmut, the epicentre of the fighting for months.

His death brings to at least 11 the number of journalists, fixers or drivers for media teams killed since Russia invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, according to advocacy groups.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Wednesday paid tribute to Soldin’s “courage” and described his work as “essential” to understanding the facts around the war in Ukraine.

“Arman was a talented and courageous journalist and his death is obviously devastating for those who knew him,” said a spokesman for UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“Journalism continues to shine a light in the darkness of this war, and Arman’s work was vital to that.”

Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko blamed Russia for Soldin’s death and said those responsible must be held accountable.

“Our condolences to Arman’s family and friends, and gratitude for his courage,” he said in a post on social media.

Paris-based media rights campaigners Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on France and Ukraine to carry out a “transparent” investigation, paying tribute to Soldin’s work and his bravery in the field.

French prosecutors announced they had opened a war crimes investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

- ‘Tell the truth’ -

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region where Bakhmut lies and which has been partially controlled by Kremlin-backed forces for years, offered his condolences to Soldin’s friends and family.

“I thank everyone who – risking their own lives – continues to tell the truth about our war,” he said.

Soldin, a French citizen born in Bosnia, once said he was drawn to telling stories of people displaced by fighting, stemming from his family’s experience fleeing conflict.

The Bosniak member of the country’s tripartite presidency, Denis Becirovic, condemned Soldin’s killing, describing his death as a “great loss” and a “painful reminder” of the risks undertaken by frontline journalists.

“At the cost of his own safety, he had been travelling to the front lines since day one, doing his job as a journalist, establishing the facts and showing images of the destruction and suffering in Ukraine,” Becirovic said.

Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, said Wednesday that “we are all incredibly shocked at AFP this morning” and that news of Soldin’s death was “incredibly painful”.

“He’s someone who understood the risks but really wanted to tell the story, in particular the human story of what was happening on the ground in Ukraine,” he said.

“It was the commitment to that story that took him back to the front again and again and again.”

Apart from journalism, Soldin was also passionate about football and as a teenager, played for the Stade Rennais in France between 2006 and 2008.

The Rennes-based football club said it had learned of his passing “with great sadness”.

- ‘Bravery’ -

The Commission de la Carte d’Identite des Journalistes Professionnels (CCIJP), a French organisation for media professionals, said it was “extremely saddened” to learn of Soldin’s death.

He is the third French reporter to lose his life since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, the CCIJP said.

Audrey Azoulay, director general of the UN cultural agency UNESCO, denounced Soldin’s killing and urged parties of the conflict to adhere to international law.

“I condemn the attack that killed video journalist Arman Soldin and call for an investigation to identify the circumstances of his death,” she said.

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed Soldin on Twitter, applauding his “bravery”.

In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the world was “indebted” to the journalists who lost their lives covering the conflict.

The Kremlin told reporters on Wednesday that it was saddened to hear reports of Arman’s killing but that the circumstances of his death remained unclear.

“We need to understand the circumstances of the death of this journalist,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.