Huge crowd greets #Kharkiv Governor @GennadyKernes upon his return to #Ukraine. Live: https://t.co/6eaqpisczi pic.twitter.com/VMuQ8VB950
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 17, 2014
Kernes supporters are carrying Ukrainian national flags and posters saying, "We Trusted You, We Waited for You!" and "Kernes! Kharkiv! Ukraine!"
Kernes is expected to give a press conference upon his arrival from Israel later today.
An unknown attacker shot Kernes while he was jogging in late April. He was operated on in a Kharkiv clinic and put into a medically induced coma.
Kernes was taken to a hospital in Haifa, Israel, on April 29, where he underwent two more operations.
Kernes first held a pro-Russian stance but later changed to position himself as largely loyal to the pro-Western government in Kyiv.
Survivor: Сolleagues were supposed to be out of range but shell flew straight into them http://t.co/8NWmgz5Qxc pic.twitter.com/VqeM5woCCy
— RT (@RT_com) June 17, 2014
The reporter's employer, the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, known as VGTRK, confirmed that 37-year-old Igor Kornelyuk had died.
The chief doctor of Luhansk District Clinical Hospital, Fedir Solyanyk, said Kornelyuk was rushed to hospital but died on his way to the operating room.
VGTRK said another member of the three-man TV crew, a sound technician, is missing.
The cameraman was reportedly unhurt.
Ukrainian government forces are battling pro-Russian separatists in the Luhansk and neighboring Donetsk regions.
VGTRK said the TV crew was at a separatist-manned checkpoint when it came under mortar fire.
As world wonders how UKR seprtists get tanks, rocket launchers, Pushkov wonders how Kyiv protesters got firecrackers. http://t.co/4UQoIwKgQb
— Robert Coalson (@CoalsonR) June 17, 2014
So it's totally legit now TT @dnrpress: #Luhansk People's Republic recognized by South Ossetia http://t.co/iWM31IOmAY pic.twitter.com/8I9ISFJh9W
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) June 17, 2014
One Russian journalist was killed, another seriously injured outside Luhansk today: @OTV_Russia http://t.co/YQnJO5n0bM RU
— Nikolaus von Twickel (@niktwick) June 17, 2014