A reporting team for an Italian newspaper comes under fire in South Ukraine, and one journalist is killed.

KYIV, Ukraine – A Ukrainian journalist working with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica was killed and his Italian colleague was injured on Wednesday when they were attacked while traveling to the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the newspaper reported.

Bogdan Bitik, who worked as an interpreter for Italian journalist Corrado Zunino, was killed in the attack on the city gate, “most likely by Russian snipers,” the newspaper said. Mr. Zunino was wounded and hospitalized in Kherson.

Both journalists have extensive experience of war, La Repubblica reported, and are clearly identified as members of the news media.

“We passed three checkpoints, Bogdan spoke with the Ukrainian military, and they let us pass without any problems,” Mr. Zunino told the paper from his hospital bed. “This is not a combat zone. Then we hit. I heard a hiss, and I saw Bogdan on the ground. He didn’t move. I crawled out of the line of fire. I ran until I passed a civilian car. I was covered in blood. I had to be taken to Kherson hospital .

He said that he had tried to contact Mr. Bitik but did not get an answer.

“He is my best friend” Mr. Zunino said. “It hurts.”

La Repubblica said the constant threat posed by Russian snipers made it difficult to recover Mr. Bitik’s body. His death was confirmed by Ukrainian officials in a public statement.

Ukrainian forces drove the Russians out of Kherson last fall, but the city is bombed almost daily by Russian forces positioned on the east bank of the Dnipro River. They use long-range artillery, airstrikes, rockets, snipers, drones and other weapons to keep the area under threat.

Dozens of civilians have been killed in attacks in and around the city since the Ukrainians took control of the area.