Vice News writer reportedly captured by militia in eastern Ukraine
Simon Ostrovsky/Facebook
Simon Ostrovsky, an American reporter with Vice News, has reportedly been captured by a militia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk. There are few details available about the reporter's detention, but the town's pro-Russian mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev confirmed the news to The Telegraph.
"Vice News is aware of the situation and is in contact with the United States State Department and other appropriate government authorities to secure the safety and security of our friend and colleague, Simon Ostrovsky," a Vice spokesperson said.
Ostrovsky was in the city live-tweeting Ponomarev's press conference. His last few tweets are about the mayor's crackdown on the press.
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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