Who was Brent Renaud? Tributes pour in as American journalist shot and killed in Ukraine

According to recent reports from Agence France-Presse (AFP), American video journalist Brent Renaud was reportedly killed amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the town of Irpin, outside Kyiv. While multiple sources did not confirm the cause of his death, Kyiv police head Andrey Nebitov's Facebook post claimed that Renaud was shot dead by Russian troops.

In the post, Nebitov shared a photo of Renaud's lifeless body, his passport, and a press pass from The New York Times. The regional police head wrote:

"The occupants are cynically killing even journalists of the international media who try to show the truth about the atrocities of Russian troops in Ukraine."

Kyiv police’s head Andrey Nebitov’s Facebook post (Image via Андрій Нєбитов/Facebook)

Backing Nebitov's claims, The New York Post reported that 51-year-old Renaud was shot by Russian military personnel near the Romanivsky Bridge in Irpin. While Renaud was killed, it has been reported that two other injured journalists were taken to a nearby hospital.

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What is known about the late award-winning journalist Brent Renaud?

According to his outdated press-pass, it was revealed that Renaud used to work for The New York Times. However, while initial reports claimed that he was in Ukraine on an assignment from the publication, they later clarified that the filmmaker had not contributed to The Times since 2015. As per their statement, the press-pass was years old.

Brent Renaud was a Peabody and DuPont Award-winning filmmaker and video journalist. He was mainly known for his esteemed video coverage and documentaries, along with his brother Craig. They were based out of New York City and Little Rock, Arkansas, and it seems that Brent mostly lived in NYC.

Craig (left), and Brent (right) (Image via renaudbrothers.com)

The two brothers reportedly had over two decades of experience as documentary filmmakers and TV producers. While co-producing their video-based media coverage and documentaries, Brent Renaud also served as a film programmer along with his brother.

As per the biography on their website:

"The Renaud's have spent the last decade telling humanistic verite stories from the World's hot spots."

Through their video projects, Brent Renaud and his brother Craig have covered topics like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, drug abuse in the US, the earthquake in Haiti, and political uproar in Egypt. They also covered "extremism in Africa, cartel violence in Mexico, and the youth refugee crisis in Central America," as per their website.

Over the years, Craig and Brent Renaud have won numerous recognition for their work. Multiple projects from the brothers' repertoire were taken up by HBO, Forbes, Rolling Stones, and more. The two have also received two Columbia DuPont Awards, two Overseas Press Club Awards, and an IDA Award, amongst others. They have also received multiple Emmy nominations.

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Condolences rush in after Brent Renaud's unfortunate demise in Ukraine

Following the news of his tragic death in Irpin, Ukraine, numerous tweets paid tribute to the late journalist. Many also highlighted the legacy left behind by Renaud and his work. Meanwhile, others noted his expertise as a photographer and filmmaker.

A plethora of tweets also celebrated and praised journalists providing on-ground coverage in Ukraine. Renaud's death also stirred up a debate about journalists' safety while reporting on conflicts.