By Elizabeth Piper
LONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Ryan Evans, who was killed in a missile strike on a hotel in eastern Ukraine, was a safety adviser whose wealth of combat experience and professional manner made him indispensable to Reuters' coverage of wars and an unfailing source of support for many journalists.
Evans, 38, was staying in the hotel in the city of Kramatorsk with a group of the agency's journalists reporting on Ukrainian troops fighting on the front line against Russia. Two Reuters journalists were also injured in Saturday's attack.
The trip was one of more than 20 Evans made to Ukraine after starting at Reuters in 2022 as a security adviser, part of a team that assesses the risks of travelling in conflict zones and accompanies journalists in the field to ensure their safety.
It was a job he loved and was well equipped for after a military career in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, during which he served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He was often dubbed the "gadget man", his many pockets stuffed with kit ready for any eventuality, and frequently became an impromptu chef, cooking on a camp stove for reporters when there was power in parts of Ukraine.
Evans, who was married and a father of four, also worked with Reuters in Israel and the Gaza Strip, and in Paris during this year's Olympic Games.
He befriended many of the reporters he was helping stay safe, thanks to his easy-going manner and sharp wit. "Are you ok?" was a question Evans repeatedly asked of journalists he worked with.
"Our lovely son Ryan enjoyed the outdoors and was only physically strong but showed great determination and tenaciousness. He ... very quickly showed interest in all things military," said his parents, David and Geraldine Evans.
Reuters' Editor in Chief Alessandra Galloni said: "Ryan played an instrumental part of our coverage of many of the biggest stories in the world over the past few years including Ukraine, Gaza, the recent Paris Olympics."
"His guidance and professionalism were invaluable to so many of our journalists; we will miss him,” she said in a statement.
'SUNLIGHT INTO OUR HEARTS'
Born in Wrexham in Wales, Evans entered the army at 17 as an infantry soldier. After leaving in 2010, he started working as a close protection officer to British diplomats and other officials in several countries, including Libya, Tunisia and Syria.
After a brief stint working as an electrician, Evans returned to the job he loved.
“He was calm yet strict in a way that felt reassuring whenever the dangerous environment we worked in demanded it," said Thomas Peter, a Kyiv-based Reuters senior photographer who was in the hotel at the time of the strike.
James Mackenzie, Reuters Bureau Chief for Israel and the Palestinian Territories, said Evans was much more than just the "calm and focused" safety adviser admired by those he worked with.
"He was big, generous and funny, always willing to help even with things that had to do with security," Mackenzie said.
Lee Marzel, Reuters Senior Producer for Video in Jerusalem, said Evans "brought sunlight into our hearts in a time of darkness and sorrow and losing him has left a huge hole.”
'JIGSAW PIECE'
Reuters Editorial safety field specialist Ali Baskerville, who hired Evans, said he was her "go-to person in every challenge".
"I knew Ryan would be the person who would keep them safe in a war zone and still have time to feed the local dogs, and make sure the team had enough sweets in the car and a decent playlist," she said.
"There's a big difference between a security person and media safety adviser. Ryan was one of the most outstanding safety advisers."
Despite loving to travel, Evans always talked about missing his children and his wife Kerrie.
He proposed to Kerrie on the Spanish island of Tenerife in 2022 during a break from Ukraine, a proposal made especially memorable because his extreme sunburn made it too painful for him to kneel down.
"Ryan was and is my jigsaw piece," Kerrie said. "He was my absolute world."
(Reporting and writing by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
((elizabeth.piper@thomsonreuters.com; 07979746994; Reuters Messaging: elizabeth.piper.thomsonreuters.com@reuters./))