French journalist killed while reporting in Ukraine war zone

A 32-year-old French journalist has been killed while reporting from the war zone in eastern Ukraine.

Arman Soldin, who worked for AFP news agency, died on Tuesday after being hit by rocket fire near Chasiv Yar, just west of Bakhmut.

A team of journalists came under attack at about 16:30 (13:30 GMT) while with a group of Ukrainian soldiers.

French President Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Soldin's work on the front lines of the war.

"We share the pain of his loved ones and his colleagues," he wrote in a tweet.

The chairman of AFP, Fabrice Fries, said the news agency was "devastated" by Soldin's death, which he said was a "terrible reminder of the risks and dangers faced by journalists every day covering the conflict in Ukraine".

The agency's Europe director, Christine Buhagiar, remembered Soldin as "enthusiastic, energetic and brave", and said he had been "totally devoted to his craft".