France confirms death of two French aid workers in Ukraine

PARIS (Reuters): Two French volunteer aid workers were killed in a Russian drone attack in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson, French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said on Friday, confirming reports from the regional governor and other officials.

“Russian barbarity has targeted civilians in Ukraine. Two French aid workers have paid with their lives for their engagement with Ukrainian people, three are injured,” Sejourne wrote in a post on social media platform X, adding that Russia “will have to answer for its crimes.”

French President Emmanuel Macron in a post on X called Thursday’s killings a “cowardly and disgraceful act.”

“My support goes to all volunteers who engage in helping other nations,” he added.

Kherson Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said on Thursday via the Telegram messaging app that the Russian attack on the town of Beryslav killed the two French nationals and wounded three other foreigners.

Beryslav is on the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson, which was abandoned by Russian forces in late 2022.