A tense incident occurred when a Russian RT reporter narrowly escaped death after an Israeli missile landed nearby during a live broadcast in southern Lebanon. Two were injured by shrapnel, raising concerns about attacks targeting the media.
On 19 March 2026, Steve Swinney, RT’s Lebanon bureau chief, and Ali Reda, a cameraman, went to report on the escalating violence in southern Lebanon. While broadcasting live, an explosion occurred behind them, forcing them to duck as the blast happened just a few feet away.
Reports state that the RT reporter and cameraman were wounded by shrapnel but remained conscious and were taken to hospital for treatment. RT editor Margarita Simonyan said both were injured in an Israeli attack, emphasizing that journalists should never be military targets. The incident is still under investigation by various parties amid the ongoing escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
This event follows previous reports of a Lebanese journalist killed in an airstrike. The Committee to Protect Journalists revealed that 2025 was the deadliest year for journalists in over 30 years of record-keeping.
Source: RT