A press release transmitted by BFM TV, which testifies to the strength of a grieving mother and which she concludes with a promise to those responsible for the death of her son: “At least I, despite the pain, know why my son died. One day, those truly responsible for this criminal nonsense will be held to account“. Dignified and powerful, the message provoked a lot of emotions in a “mourning editorial staff”, as Marc-Olivier Fogiel, the boss of the channel, had described it on Tuesday.
Saying that he himself warned the journalist’s mother of the drama that had just taken place, he explained how much she had impressed her. “His first reaction was to ask how was Maxime Brandstaetter (the other journalist on site, editor’s note) and how was the fixer (Oksana Leuta, editor’s note). She is obviously in tears but that says a lot about the commitment, she obviously knew what her son’s job was“, he testified.
Maxime Brandstaetter, also injured in the shelling but out of danger, posted a powerful tribute on his own Twitter account: “Thank you for all your messages, which comfort us with Oksana. Sorry for not answering, I don’t have the strength to read them all. My thoughts go out to Fred, his family, his loved ones. He was such a sweet, caring person. A passionate journalist who was so proud and found it so important to tell what is happening here. I will never forget you Fred” he wrote with emotion.