Partner's tribute to French journalist

Partner's tribute to French journalist

French journalist Frédéric Leclerc-Imhoff was killed by shrapnel on Monday while reporting on civilians being evacuated by bus from Lysychansk and Severodonetsk, Qazet.az reports.

Now his partner Sam has paid a powerful tribute to a man who he said was passionate about his job reporting for news channel BMFTV and passionate and supportive in his private life too.

"When he left for Ukraine we told each other that a month without seeing each other was really too long. One month has become the rest of my life," he said on Instagram. They had been together for a year and "Fred knew me before I came out", he added, beside a picture of the couple kissing.

Imhoff's mother has also spoken out about his death, after Russian-backed forces in Luhansk suggested he was a foreign mercenary "delivering weapons and munitions" to Ukrainian forces.false

"Your press release makes me feel sick," she said. "Everyone here knows his professional and personal commitment to democracy, human respect and especially free, impartial and honest information".