The Russian media outlet Izvestia said on Saturday that a Ukrainian drone strike killed its reporter near the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

"The Ukrainian army launched a drone strike on a civilian car carrying Izvestia's freelance correspondent Alexander Martemyanov," the daily reported on its Telegram channel.

"The car was located far from the line of contact."

Izvestia said the car was traveling on a highway linking Donetsk, the Russian-held main town of Donetsk region, and the city of Horlivka to the north.

Data previously provided by the Committee to Protect Journalists counted at least 15 journalists killed since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia's RIA news agency said two of its correspondents traveling with Martemyanov were injured in the incident, along with two journalists working for a local publication in Donetsk.