Another war story of Andrei Babitsky death has surfaced on the internet. The Russian journalist has died at 57, not due to war but cardiac arrest.
According to regional media and Radio Free Europe, Russian journalist Andrei Babitsky died at home in Donetsk, Ukraine, at 57.
He was best known as an award-winning war correspondent for US-funded Radio Free Europe’s Russian-language service, covering Chechen conflicts.
News: Who Was Andrei Babitsky?
Andrei Babitsky was a Russian journalist and war correspondent who covered the 1991 August Coup.
Furthermore, Babitsky is also known to cover the Tajikistan Civil War and the First and Second Chechen Wars for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from 1989 to 2014.
During the Second Chechen War, the kidnapping of Sergei Babitsky by Russian soldiers in January–February 2000 drew international media attention.
However, the controversial journalist passed away at home due to a heart attack.
His reporting was fraught with controversy in Russia, as he was frequently accused of leaning with the Chechen insurgents.
Babitsky did not shy away from covering Chechen crimes, according to Mario Corti, head of RFE/Russian RL’s service.
He was the first Russian journalist to blame a Chechen warlord for killing American disaster relief specialist Fred Cuny.
Babitsky was born on September 24, 1964, in Russian territory.
Andrei Babitsky Cause Of Death As Twitter Floods With Tribute Post
Andrei Babitsky death cause has been reported as a heart attack by france24.com. He died at the age of 53 in his home.
According to a Tweet from Kevin Rothrock, “Russian journalist and war reporter Andrei Babitsky, famously kidnapped during the Second Chechen War, died today at 57. He infamously lost his job at RFE/RL in 2014 after defending Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.”
In 1985, Babitsky began editing the dissident publication Glasnost.
Two years later, Andrei covered the 1991 failed coup, the 1993 White House siege in Moscow, and both Chechen conflicts.
Babitsky was claimed to have strong ties to rebel commanders, many of whom relied on the radio station for information.
Russian authorities despised the radio correspondent for his dramatic reports on civilian suffering and troop hardships in Chechnya, deliberately avoided by official television coverage.
Radio Free Europe claimed, “His reports drew strong criticism from Russian officials” in an obituary.
Andrei was detained by Russian forces in Chechnya in January 2000 for violating accreditation restrictions. The Russians soon exchanged him for another soldier.