Russia lodges protest with Israel over strike on RT crew in Lebanon

Russia has formally lodged a protest with Israel over an incident in southern Lebanon in which members of an RT television crew were wounded during an Israeli Air Force strike, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The ministry said that on March 20, Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko received Israeli Ambassador to Moscow Oded Yosef, where the issue was raised alongside broader regional tensions.

“During the meeting, primary attention was given to the ongoing tense military and political situation in the Middle East region,” the ministry said. “The Russian side lodged a protest over the shelling of RT television crew members, who were injured as a result of a missile strike by the Israeli Air Force in southern Lebanon. The need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the incident and for preventing such practices in the future was emphasised.”

The incident occurred on March 19, when an RT correspondent and a cameraman were injured in a strike in southern Lebanon. The injured journalist, Steve Sweeney, and his colleague were reported to be conscious and receiving medical treatment following the attack.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the circumstances suggested the strike could not be considered accidental. She pointed to the broader pattern of journalist casualties in Gaza and stated that the projectile struck a location where filming was underway rather than a military target. She also expressed wishes for the journalists’ recovery and said Moscow expects a response from international organisations.

Another RT correspondent, Ali Rida, said the strike had deliberately targeted a group of journalists gathered on a bridge in southern Lebanon. He added that those present were clearly identifiable as media personnel, wearing high-visibility vests marked “Press.”

By Tamilla Hasanova