Fox News correspondent Benjamin Hall, who survived an attack that killed colleagues while reporting on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, said Thursday that he is grateful to be alive and on the road to recovery. He also detailed the severe nature of his injuries.
“To sum it up, I’ve lost half a leg on one side and a foot on the other. One hand is being put together, one eye is no longer working, and my hearing is pretty blown … but all in all I feel pretty damn lucky to be here — and it is the people who got me here who are amazing!” he tweeted along with a photo of himself Thursday night.
Russian troops open fired on the car Hall was traveling in on March 14 in Northwest Kyiv. The vehicle also carried Fox News cameraman Pierre Zakrzewski and Ukrainian journalist Oleksandra Kuvshynova, who was assisting Fox in its war reporting. Both were killed in the ambush.
Hall had been relocated to a hospital in Texas where he received treatment and had reportedly started to undergo rehabilitation. He also tweeted an emotional tribute to his friends Zakrzewski and Kuvshynova Thursday.
“It’s been over three weeks since the attack in Ukraine and I wanted to start sharing it all. But first I need to pay tribute to my colleagues Pierre and Sasha who didn’t make it that day,” he wrote. “Pierre and I traveled the world together, working was his joy and his joy was infectious. RIP,” he said.
Zakrzewski had accompanied Hall on many overseas reporting assignments, working as a conflict photographer for Fox in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He helped the evacuation effort of Afghan citizens who had helped Fox News during the U.S. military operation there when the Taliban seized power again last August, Fox News Channel CEO Suzanne Scott told the New York Post.
At the time of Zakrzewski’s passing last month, Scott released a statement: “Today is a heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news. He was profoundly committed to telling the story and his bravery, professionalism and work ethic were renowned among journalists at every media outlet.”