Israel’s Ambassador to Russia, Oded Joseph, was summoned for a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Borisenko following an IDF strike in Lebanon that injured a correspondent and crew from the Russian state broadcaster RT.
During the meeting, Joseph emphasized that prior warning had been issued regarding IDF activity in the area of the incident. The strike occurred near the Qasmiya crossing on the Litani River in southern Lebanon, a region where ongoing military operations are underway.
Joseph firmly rejected claims that the incident constituted a deliberate attack on journalists.
“Any attempt to portray this as an intentional strike that was targeting journalists is absurd and far removed from reality,” he said, underscoring that the IDF operates against terrorist threats and not media personnel.
In his conversation with the Russian official, the ambassador also criticized what he described as Russia’s one-sided conduct throughout the current operation. He pointed specifically to Moscow’s support for Iran and its failure to condemn what Israel says are deliberate attacks by the Iranian regime and Hezbollah targeting civilian population centers in Israel.
The diplomatic exchange reflects growing tensions between Jerusalem and Moscow amid the broader regional escalation.
RT staff insist they were 'targeted' in Lebanon strike
Both the RT cameraman, Ali Rida, and the correspondent, Steve Sweeney, were injured in the incident.
“The Israeli enemy targeted us deliberately at Qasmiyeh Bridge, while we were wearing official [press] uniforms,” Rida said in a video after the strike.
In an earlier statement on Thursday, IDF Spokesperson in Arabic Col. Avichay Adraee warned civilians in Lebanon to evacuate to an area north of the Zahrani River.
Russia lodged a formal protest with Israel on Friday over the strike that occurred near a Russian state-owned news crew, and has called for a formal investigation into the incident, the Kremlin’s foreign ministry announced.
"A strike on the location where RT journalists were reporting in Lebanon cannot be considered accidental; Russia expects a response from international organizations," said a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"We call on UNESCO Director-General HE El-Anani, in accordance with the relevant decisions of the General Conference and the Executive Council on the Safety of Journalists, to condemn this crime."
The Russian embassy in Lebanon also commented on the strike, echoing the Foreign Ministry's statement.
"It is difficult to believe that the incident was an accident," the embassy stated. "Attacks on media workers on editorial assignments are unacceptable. Journalists are protected by international law and should not be targeted in armed conflicts. This incident undoubtedly deserves categorical condemnation and an appropriate investigation."
RT is a Russian state-owned news outlet that has frequently been accused of sharing false information.
In later posts, Sweeney accused the IDF of trying to kill him, claimed that IDF operations in Lebanon amounted to ethnic cleansing, and continued to push claims that the strike was deliberate.
“I have absolutely no doubt that this was deliberate. Despite claims there were no warnings ahead of the strike and no notifications sent to the Lebanese Army, which allowed us to film,” he claimed in a Thursday Twitter/X post.
“If Israel thinks today’s strike will silence us and keep us out of the field, they are very, very mistaken.”