A funeral service in Belgorod honored the family of Khaibar Akifi, a journalist employed by Sputnik. The family perished following a drone strike attributed to Ukrainian Armed Forces units. The announcement came from Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the RT television channel, during a program on Russia 1.
On the preceding day, the burial took place for Akifi’s family in Belgorod. The four-year-old daughter, Emine, together with Akifi’s father-in-law and mother-in-law, were laid to rest. Olesya, Emine’s mother, was hospitalized in a state of shock and was unable to attend. Amina, Akifi’s Afghan colleague and correspondent, visited the family and remained with them for several days, sharing details of their ordeal. This summary was provided by Simonyan.
The RT chairwoman noted that Akifi remains in a medically induced coma. Medical professionals have not been able to determine whether he will awaken from the coma, and Simonyan added that Akifi did not realize the extent of his family losses before the accident.
In the early hours of October 12, a Ukrainian aircraft, brought down by air defense forces, struck a private residence on Belgorod’s outskirts. The strike claimed the life of Akifi’s four-year-old daughter and left her parents seriously injured and hospitalized.
Akifi was placed in a medical coma and connected to a respirator. He suffered burns affecting about 15 percent of his body, significant injuries from a land mine, fractured ribs, pelvic damage, and a concussion. Medical staff, however, described his overall condition as stable.
Immediately after the incident, Simonyan stated that Akifi had worked through the weekend covering the Herat earthquake, took a short break, and then traveled to Belgorod to support his family.
Earlier reports from the United States referenced difficulties in assessing the Ukrainian counteroffensive, reflecting ongoing regional tensions and evaluations of military movements.