He also paid tribute to veteran Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and to a Ukrainian fixer for the network, Oleksandra Kuvshynova, both of whom were killed. It has not yet been established who was responsible for the shelling, but the Ukrainian Defense Ministry attributed the deaths at the time to Russian forces.
“Its been over three weeks since the attack in Ukraine and I wanted to start sharing it all,” Hall wrote on Thursday night. “But first I need to pay tribute to my colleagues Pierre and Sasha who didn’t make it that day. Pierre and I traveled the world together, working was his joy and his joy was infectious. RIP.”
Hours later, both tweets were deleted, but before then they had been shared across Twitter thousands of times, prompting an outpouring of tributes and sympathy. “You’ve been through hell and you’re looking pretty damn good, @BenjaminHallFNC,” wrote ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl. “Can’t wait to see you back on the air.” Clarissa Ward, CNN chief international correspondent, shared Hall’s update and wrote, simply, “Courage.”
Kuvshynova, 24, had worked as a consultant for the network in Ukraine, while Zakrzewski, 55, had helped Fox News cover conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria during his lengthy career. Several New York-based Fox News executives recently attended the funeral and wake for Zakrzewski, an Irish citizen, in Dublin.
Fox News had not previously released details about the severity of Hall’s injuries but said initially on March 14 that he needed to be hospitalized. The team came under fire while reporting from a vehicle in Horenka, outside Kyiv. Two days later, Fox News chief executive Suzanne Scott informed employees that Hall was “safe” and had been extracted from the country.
Hall was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany and then ultimately to a military medical center in Texas. “Ben is receiving excellent care while he continues to recover from his serious injuries after multiple surgeries,” Scott told employees on March 25.
Hall has worked for Fox News since 2015 and is based primarily in Washington, DC, according to his company biography. He was extracted from Ukraine with the help of a group called Save Our Allies and Fox News Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin.
Fox News did not immediately respond to inquiries Friday morning.
www.washingtonpost.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism