‘You can hear the missile when it’s flying at you’: Watch moment Israeli rocket nearly kills journalist
Editor’s Note: Be aware of language in embedded video.
Dramatic footage captured by an RT reporter and cameraman on Thursday shows an Israeli strike exploding just behind them.
Reporter Steven Sweeney and his cameraman Ali Rida were injured by an Israeli strike outside Mazraat Bsaileh near the Al-Qasmiya Bridge in southern Lebanon, according to RT, formerly Russia Today. Rida claimed in an X video posted to RT’s account that the Israeli military struck them deliberately, as both men were clearly marked with press credentials.
Moment Israel DIRECTLY HITS RT crew https://t.co/cxNTq2htyY pic.twitter.com/IWLmKGHwSj
— RT (@RT_com) March 19, 2026
Rida caught Sweeney on camera ducking for cover seconds before the explosive struck behind the reporter. Both men survived the strike but were immediately taken for medical care at a local hospital in the area, according to RT. Doctors treated Sweeney by removing shrapnel from his right arm, as shown in an X video posted to RT’s account.
RT posted video on X of Rida in a medical facility stating both he and Sweeney are “fine.” “Turns out you can hear the missile when it’s flying at you,” said Rida in the video.
Russian spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said the strike “cannot be called a coincidence… against the backdrop of the killing of two hundred journalists in Gaza,” according to a Telegram posted originally in Russian to her official channel.
“Moreover, the missile did not strike a ‘vital strategic military target’ but rather the very location where a report was being filmed,” said Zakharova. “We wish the RT journalists a speedy recovery. We await the reaction of international organizations!”
The Russian Embassy in Lebanon said it is difficult to believe the strike nearly hitting the RT reporter and cameraman were the result of an accident, according to a Telegram post originally in Russian on the embassy’s official account.
“Attacks on media personnel carrying out editorial assignments are unacceptable,” said the Russian Embassy in Lebanon. “Journalists are protected under international law and must not be targeted in armed conflicts. The incident undoubtedly warrants categorical condemnation and a thorough investigation. We believe that the international community and international organizations must respond appropriately to today’s incident.”
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) denied targeting the RT crew by the Qasmiya bridge and said the IDF gave public warnings to civilians in the area prior to the strikes, according to an X post made on the official IDF account.
“In footage released in the past few hours, a journalist is seen at the ‘Qasmiya’ crossing,” said the IDF. “An explicit warning had been issued regarding this area. The crossing was struck after sufficient time had passed since warnings. The crossing was again targeted today at 12:30 [UTC].”
“The IDF calls on the residents of Lebanon to heed the warnings published on various platforms. The IDF does not target civilians or journalists and operates in accordance with international law.”
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