BEIJING, June 18-- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying on Wednesday expressed condolences over the deaths of two Russian journalists who were killed near Lugansk in eastern Ukraine.

China has always opposed violence against journalists, Hua told a daily press briefing, urging effective measures to safeguard journalists to avoid similar tragedies.

She said China is deeply worried about the situation in Ukraine, calling on relevant sides to keep calm, exercise restraint, stop violence and conflict to create conditions for a political solution.

Two Russian television journalists, Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, were killed on Tuesday in mortar fire.