The Kremlin on Tuesday accused the Ukrainian military of deliberately targeting a group of Russian journalists working in part of Moscow-controlled eastern Ukraine with a fatal strike.

The attack killed Alexander Fedorchak, a war correspondent from Russia's Izvestia media outlet, as well as camera operator Andrei Panov and driver Alexander Sirkeli who worked for the Zvezda television channel, the Russian foreign ministry said on Monday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed his condolences to the families of those who had lost their lives.

"The (artillery) fire was targeted. They were deliberately targeted to kill them. The Kyiv regime continues its atrocities against journalists and people who do not have weapons in their hands," said Peskov.

Reuters could not independently verify the Russian reports late on Monday. Ukraine's presidential office and the foreign ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' request to comment outside office hours.