Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beirut: The Syrian delegation's visit to Beirut, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed until next week
Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza: The total number of Palestinians killed due to famine and malnutrition has risen to 313, including 119 children
Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip: 10 people, including two children, have died of starvation in the past 24 hours
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: US envoy Tom Barrack cancels his visit to Tyre and al-Khiam amid popular protests
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Lebanon: Israeli occupation forces carried out an explosion in the southern border town of Kfar Kila
Russian Ministry of Defense: 37 Ukrainian drones destroyed in 4 hours over regions of Russia and the Black Sea.
Sheikh Qassem: Our supporters make up more than half of Lebanon's population, and all of these people are united under the banner of protecting Lebanon, its Resistance, its people, and its integrity.
Sheikh Qassem: There will be no phased handing in of our arms. [The Israelis] must first enact the agreement before we start talking about a defensive strategy.
Sheikh Qassem: Be brave in the face of foreign pressures, and we will be by your side in this stance.
Sheikh Qassem: Stripping us of our arms is like stripping us of our very soul, and this will prompt us to show them our might.

Kiev's Ashton-Cirillo fired over 'hunt down' Russia journalists threat

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 21 Sep 2023 10:31
  • 2 Shares
3 Min Read

Ukraine's military says an investigation was launched into Ashton-Cirillo's recorded threats to "service justice" to Russian "propagandists."

  • x
  • Spokesperson of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces Sarah Ashton-Carello during a recorded footage
    Spokesperson of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces Sarah Ashton-Cirillo during a recorded footage in September, 2023. (Screengrab)

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' American spokesperson, Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, was suspended on Wednesday "with immediate effect" after making a public potential death threat against Russian journalists, declaring that Russian "propagandists will all be hunted down" and "served justice" by next week.

"The statements of [Junior Sergeant] Ashton-Cirillo in recent days were not approved by the command of the [Territorial Defense Forces] or the command of the [Armed Forces of Ukraine]," the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces said in a post on X on Wednesday.

"Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo will be suspended immediately," the statement continued, adding that a probe was launched into the official's conduct.

Read more: Journalist Dilyana Gaytandzhieva listed on Ukraine SBU wanted list

"Next week, the teeth of the Russian devil will gnash ever harder, and their rabid mouths will foam in an uncontrollable frenzy as the world will see a favorite Russia propagandist pay for their crimes... And this puppet of [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will be the first," Ashton-Cirillo said in a video statement earlier this week.

"Russia's war criminal propagandists will all be hunted down, and justice will be served," the ex-spokesperson added, without specifying who the individual was or how they would be "served" with justice.

Ashton-Cirillo being paid with US resources

The recorded threat drew a predominantly negative response from both sides of the war.

Alongside Moscow's condemnation of the statement, which, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova serves as additional proof of Kiev's engagement in terrorist actions, US Republican Senator JD Vance sounded his objection to such statements.

Read more: Russia blames US for Ukraine murdering RIA Novosti correspondent

In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Vance demanded information on whether Ashton-Cirillo was being "compensated with US resources," or previously worked for US intelligence.

The Senator warned of the trend that "any critic of America’s incoherent policy in Ukraine has been slandered as a propagandist, including multiple presidential candidates and American journalists."

"I worry American resources could be supporting violence or the threat of violence against people for speaking their mind," he continued.

Not an isolated incident

The Ukrainian government and nationalist groups in the country have a well-documented history of suppressing freedom of speech and targeting both Ukrainian and foreign journalists criticizing Kiev.

Notably, Ukraine's infamous Mirotvorets website maintains a "kill list" that contains personal information about dissenting reporters, politicians, opposition figures, bloggers, and even minors, all labeled as "enemies of Ukraine."

When someone on this list is killed, the website marks their photograph with the word "liquidated." Tragically, this has led to the deaths of various individuals, including Ukrainian publicist Oles Buzina, legislator Oleg Kalashnikov, Russian journalists Zemfira Suleimanova, Igor Kornelyuk, and Anton Voloshin, as well as Russian photojournalist Andrey Stenin, Italian freelance photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli, and Darya Dugina, the daughter of Russian philosopher Alexander Dugin, among others.

Read more: National Union of Journalists of Ukraine celebrate death of Zhuravlev

  • Sarah Ashton-Cirillo
  • Russia
  • war in Ukraine
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Palestinians pray over the bodies of people who were killed in an Israeli military strike, during their funeral outside Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, Friday, August 22, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'Israel’s' 'double-tap' strike on Gaza hospital must be probed: UN

Elon Musk flashes his t-shirt that reads DOGE to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Sunday, March 9, 2025 (AP)
Technology

Whistleblower warns DOGE mishandled social security data of millions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives for a joint press conference with President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

House Democrats urge Rubio to admit injured Gaza kids after visa halt

The Microsoft Sign at the Redmond headquarters sprayed in red during a protest against 'Israel' using the company's cloud services, Redmond, Washington DC, United States, August 21, 2025 (Social Media)
Politics

Current, ex-Microsoft staff arrested in sit-in against Israeli ties

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS