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Anna Prokofieva, a correspondent for Russia's state-controlled propaganda broadcaster Channel One, takes a selfie in camouflage gear on March 16, 2025. A patch with the Russian pro-war “Z” symbol can be seen on her chest. Photo: Prokofieva’s Telegram channel.
Anna Prokofieva, a correspondent for Russia’s largest state-run propaganda network, Channel One, was killed in the Belgorod Region near the Ukrainian border, according to a statement by the broadcaster released earlier today.
“Channel One war correspondent Anna Prokofieva was killed while performing her professional duties. The incident occurred in Russia’s Belgorod Region, near the border with Ukraine, where Channel One’s news crew struck an enemy landmine. Cameraman Dmitry Volkov, who was with Anna at the time, was wounded,” the statement read.
The Telegram channel Romanov Light reported that the incident occurred near the village of Demidovka in the Krasnoyaruzhsky District, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) reportedly entered last week. “Preliminary reports suggest that the Channel One vehicle struck a mine planted by enemy forces in the border zone. Other reports point to a possible attack by an enemy drone,” commented self-styled “war correspondent” Yuri Kotenok.
Prokofieva was 35 years old. She had previously worked for the Spanish-language service of the state-run Rossiya Segodnya agency, which owns and operates the outlets Sputnik and RIA Novosti. She joined Channel One in 2023, producing reports on the war in Ukraine. Bella Liberman, another Russian “war correspondent,” shared a video of Prokofieva on Telegram in which she mentioned completing training as a drone operator and planning to sign a military contract.
Earlier in the week, three journalists working for Kremlin-affiliated media were killed while on assignment in the Russian-occupied Luhansk Region.
On March 24, Alexander Fedorchak, a journalist for the pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia, was killed in the combat zone. On the same day, Russia’s Defense Ministry channel Zvezda announced the deaths of two crew members — cameraman Andrey Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli.
Channel One is Russia’s flagship state television network and plays a key role in amplifying Kremlin narratives and justifying Moscow’s policies — including the full-scale war against Ukraine. The channel regularly spreads disinformation, suppresses dissenting voices, and amplifies anti-Western messaging.
Izvestia is owned by the National Media Group (NMG), a large Russian media holding closely aligned with the Kremlin. NMG has significant stakes in various major Russian TV channels, newspapers, and online platforms, many of which follow a strongly pro-government editorial line. NMG is notably chaired by Alina Kabaeva, a former gymnast and politician who is widely reported to be Vladimir Putin's partner — and the mother of two of his sons.