On 16 August 2024, Russian pro-war Telegram channel Zhivov Z published a death threat directed at CNN journalists reporting from Sudzha, in the part of Russia’s Kursk region currently occupied by Ukraine. This news was relayed by Ukrainian press freedom group Institute of Mass Information (IMI). In the Telegram post, the anonymous Zhivov Z channel wrote: “Journalists from CNN entered the territory of Russia near the [border] checkpoint at Sudzha. We are noting down all western journalists who entered Russian territory. No offense. We will kill you.”
The post came amidst a Ukrainian military offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, in the course of which Ukraine captured several settlements near its border. Ukrainian and international journalists later arrived to the area to report on the situation.