RT correspondent Steve Sweeney reportedly escaped a fatal incident while reporting from southern Lebanon, after an Israeli missile struck just behind him during a live shoot. Wearing a clearly marked press vest, Sweeney was on camera when the explosion occurred, sending debris and shrapnel toward the crew. The footage shows the camera shaking violently as he ducked just moments before impact.
Reports indicate that both Sweeney and his cameraperson, Ali Rida, sustained injuries and were later taken to a hospital for treatment. According to RT News, the crew had been filming near the Al-Qasmiya Bridge, close to a local military base, when an Israeli aircraft allegedly fired in their direction. WION could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
JUST IN: 🇮🇱🇱🇧 Moment Israel targeted Russia Today (RT) journalist Steve Sweeney with a missile strike in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/1Ed8Wkc5TS
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) March 19, 2026
Rida reportedly alleged that the strike was deliberate. “They could clearly see our press credentials,” he said, while sharing footage that showed doctors removing shrapnel from Sweeney’s arm. In a later video recorded from the hospital, Rida confirmed that both he and Sweeney were in stable condition. He added, with dark humour: “It turns out that when a missile is flying at you, you can hear it.”
The incident has intensified global concern over the safety of journalists operating in active conflict zones in Lebanon, where continued strikes have impacted civilian areas and key infrastructure amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran war.
❗️Israeli army ‘DELIBERATELY’ targets RT crew despite clearly marked press uniforms — injured Ali Rida reports from southern Lebanon https://t.co/5Elgars8i2 pic.twitter.com/zOqxULSxcu
— RT (@RT_com) March 19, 2026
Meanwhile, Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli attacks have killed more than 100 people in the country since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2.
