Female reporter is PUNCHED by a woman and pelted with eggs during live broadcast in Ukraine
- Journalist Darina Bilera egged and punched while reporting in Kiev
- Ms Bilera was reporting from protest against extradition of soldier to Russia
- She was accused of being ‘pro-Russian’ by some of the protesters
- Owner of the TV channel where she works has reportedly links to Putin
This is the shocking moment a young reporter is pelted with eggs and punched in the face by nationalist protesters while carrying out a live broadcast in Ukraine.
Darina Bilera, 20, had been reporting on the decision to extradite a soldier who fought alongside government forces against Russian-backed rebels in east Ukraine.
Moscow accuses 31-year-old Russian national Timur Tumgoev of being an Islamist terrorist and affiliated with ISIS.
As Ms Bilera stood in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office in the capital Kiev, some in the crowd protesting the extradition accused her of being ‘pro-Russian’.
Attacked: Ukrainian journalist Darina Bilera, 20, came under attack from nationalist protesters who accused her of being pro-Russian
The incident took place during Monday’s protest in the capital, which saw hundreds of Ukrainians gather to demand the extradition of Tumgoev is stopped.
Video footage shows Ms Bilera being pelted with eggs and verbally abused by a man in a blue hoodie as she tries to report from the scene for NewsOne TV.
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Riot cops in the background do nothing to help and she quickly moves away from the man, and – despite being covered in eggs – continues her report.
‘You see what is going on. We are being attacked, they threw ice and eggs at us,’ she is heard saying to the camera.
She barely gets a chance to start over before an elderly woman comes up from behind and pushes her microphone away from her face.
Two sides: Ms Bilera had been reporting on Ukraine’s decision to extradite Russian soldier Timur Tumgoev, accused by Moscow of fighting for ISIS, but whom supporters say has been fighting for the government in east Ukraine
Reporting: Video footage shows Ms Bilera outside the Prosecutor General’s Office in the capital Kiev on Monday
Egged: As Ms Bilera reports live from the protests, someone in the crowd throws eggs at her before a man verbally abuses her
After moving away, a woman comes up from behind and pushes her microphone away
Punched: After two physical attacks, a woman walks up to the 20-year-old reporter and hits her in the face
Ms Bilera still continues her report when suddenly another woman attacks her, and punches her in the face.
Despite this attack, police officers still remain passive, and Ms Bilera is forced to compose herself and keep reporting.
According to local media, police officer at the scene had suggested to Ms Bilera that she should simply have stayed away from the Prosecutor General’s Office.
She was reporting on the protests over the extradition of Tumgoyev at the request of the Russian Federal Security Service.
Tumgoyev, an ethnic Ingush from the Russian Caucasus region, has fought on the side of the Ukrainian government against Russia-backed rebels in the east of the country since November 2017, his fellow soldiers say.
Clashes: Nationalist activists clash with riot police in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office in Kiev on Monday
A woman holds a placard reading ‘Prosecutor General go to Russia’ as the Ukrainian riot police guard the Prosecutor General’s Office in Kiev on Monday
Russia gas claimed believes he is a militant of the IS jihadist group. Kiev and its Western allies accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border, but Moscow denies the claims.
He had twice asked for refugee status in Ukraine but his requests were turned down. Ukrainian authorities have no official confirmation of his activities.
The TV channel Ms Bilera works for, NewsOne TV, is reportedly owned by businessman and politician Vadim Rabinovich, who has been called the ‘Trump of Ukraine’.
His For Life party has three seats in the Ukrainian parliament and has previously advocated solving the Russia-Ukraine conflict with peaceful talks.
Rabinovich himself has reportedly received backing from several powerful Russian businessmen with links to Vladimir Putin, as well as pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk, whose daughter has the Russian President as her godfather.
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