President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday said Russia was ready to help investigate the killing of AFP video journalist Arman Soldin in Ukraine last year, likely as a result of Russian rocket fire.
"We will do everything in our power," he said at a meeting with journalists from international news agencies, including AFP.
"We are ready to do this work. I do not know how it could be done in practice since this person died in a warzone," he said.
The Kremlin had previously said that Russia could not carry out any investigation since the journalist was killed in an area under the control of Ukrainian forces.
French prosecutors have opened a war crimes investigation to determine the circumstances of Soldin's death.
AFP's Global News Director Phil Chetwynd said at the time he was "encouraged" by the investigation, adding: "We hope this will bring some answers and accountability."
Soldin was killed on May 9, 2023 at the age of 32 while reporting near the city of Chasiv Yar.
He was covering the battle for Bakhmut, around a dozen kilometres away, which was eventually captured by Russian forces after more than nine months of fighting.
Russia is still on the offensive in the area and its forces have advanced further towards Chasiv Yar in recent weeks.