The other three people in the group are reportedly ANNA news agency’s cameraman, an employee of the press service of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, and possibly an acquaintance of Phillips, who accompanied the journalist to the airport.
“Our cameraman, Vadim, was working in the epicenter of the fighting, RT’s stringer was next to him,” ANNA news agency reported.
The agency cites anonymous sources, saying the group of four was taken hostage by Ukrainian troops.
“According to the information we have, they have been captured by Ukrainian troops. This information has been confirmed by the self-defense forces,” the head of ANNA news agency’s Ukrainian bureau, Konstantin Knyrik, told RT.
Theres been some heavy shelling and im right by Donetsk airport as it looks to be an active night here.
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) July 22, 2014
The last time Phillips got in touch with Moscow was on the evening of Tuesday, July 22.
The stringer informed Moscow he was planning to go to Donetsk airport, currently the most active warzone in the regional center besieged by Kiev’s troops and National Guard.
“We urged him not to go, because of the obvious risks, but based on the messages that appeared in social media a bit later, he decided to go there anyway, alongside another group of journalists,” RT’s statement maintains.
At around 2am in the morning, Phillips sent RT a text message saying “All is fine,” and that was the last communication with him.
Although the channel did not assign Graham to go to the Donetsk airport, RT editorial staff are doing everything within their powers, such as contacting representatives of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Kiev authorities, to learn about his present whereabouts.
So far all efforts have been in vain.
Popular YouTuber and RT stringer, Graham Phillips was detained once at a check point in Mariupol and held captive by Kiev military for over 36 hours in May.
Filming for RT today, I speak with a family as they hide from Ukraine military shelling in their bomb shelter – https://t.co/NeIfSi7NRw)
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) July 22, 2014
Phillips has been reporting about the developments in Ukraine for several months now. According to research from Brandwatch social networks monitor, he has become the most popular author in Twitter reporting on the situation in Ukraine.