Chilling moment Israeli missile hits meters away from British journalist during live report in Lebanon
Niamh Shackleton
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A British journalist was just yards away from being struck by an Israeli missile in shocking footage that's surfaced online.
Russia Today reporter Steve Sweeney had to hospitalized after a missile was dropped near him during a live report.
Sweeney's cameraman was also hospitalized.
He was filming in Lebanon at the time, which has been subjected to a series of attacks as a result of America and Israel's ongoing war with Iran.
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Sweeney was discussing the rocket attacks in Lebanon when, mid sentence, a missile dropped behind him.
He lunged forward to get away from the it. The camera then toppled over and bits of debris were seen dropping from the sky.
Warning: video contains strong language
🇮🇱🇱🇧 Insane footage shows an Israeli airstrike impacting right next to RT journalist Steve Sweeney in southern Lebanon.
— The Daily News (@DailyNewsJustIn) March 19, 2026
Russia Today says Steve and his cameraman are both conscious in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/vkRpZy9m8d
Margarita Simonyan, the editor of Russia Today, has addressed the harrowing incident.
"Our correspondent Steve Sweeney has been wounded by an Israeli strike in Lebanon," she said, via The Express.
"He says an IDF plane fired upon the car carrying Steve and his cameraman, as they were crossing a bridge in the south of the country."
Simonyan continued: "Both men are conscious in hospital, doctors are diagnosing extent of shrapnel damage. War journalists are not legitimate targets. We pray for them."
Sweeney has since been released from hospital and spoke out on the scary incident for himself, suggesting that it was a 'targeted attack'.
He said in a video shared on Open Source America's Twitter page that he and his cameraman had been treated from shrapnel wounds.
"This was a deliberate, targated attack on journalists," the reporter went on. "This was an Israeli precision strike from a fighter jet.
"What we were doing was, we were reporting on the attacks on bridges which is effectively severing South Lebanon from the rest of the country. One million people now [are] internally displaced."
RT's correspondent Steve Sweeney speaks about the incident that wounded him and his cameraman.
— Open Source America (@USAopens) March 19, 2026
He says that the incident was a “deliberate targeted attack on journalists”, also adding that Israel is planning to ethnically cleanse south Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/vG2yERSTER
Sweeney has been keeping his followers updated on the reality of the conflict from his position on the ground, just yesterday sharing a post which read: "Israel says it is bombing bridges to disrupt Hezbollah supply lines.
"But on the ground the reality is stark: entire routes into southern Lebanon are being severed — effectively cutting off around 1 million people from their homes.
"Families who have lived on this land for generations now face the very real risk of permanent displacement, unable to return, rebuild, or even reach what remains of their communities.
"What is being framed as a military tactic is also reshaping the map of civilian life."