Ex-British soldier advising journalists on safety in warzones killed in missile strike on hotel in Ukraine

Two other journalists are being treated in hospital, with one of them in serious condition.

The three other members of the Reuters team who were in the hotel at the time of the strike were accounted for and safe.

Evans had been working with the news agency since 2022 and advised its journalists on safety around the world, including in Ukraine, Israel and the Paris Olympics.

"We are urgently seeking more information about the attack, including by working with the authorities in Kramatorsk, and we are supporting our colleagues and their families," Reuters said.

"We send our deepest condolences and thoughts to Ryan's family and loved ones. Ryan has helped so many of our journalists cover events around the world; we will miss him terribly."

Volodymyr Zelensky said the hotel was hit by a Russian Iskander missile, a ballistic missile that can strike at distances up to 310 miles.

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He added that the strike "absolutely purposeful, thought out" and offered his "condolences to family and friends".

Reuters was not able to independently verify if the missile that hit the hotel was fired by Russia or if it was a deliberate strike on that building.

The Donetsk province's regional prosecutor's office said in a Telegram post that the hotel was "destroyed" at 10:35pm local time on Saturday "probably with an Iskander-M missile".

The prosecutor's office has opened a pre-trial investigation into the strike, it said.

The Russian Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.