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EXPERTS AVAILABLE: Russian Journalist Arkady Babchenko, Thought Dead, In Fact Involved in Sting To Thwart Alleged Assassination


Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko during an interview with Current Time in Prague (May 12, 2017)

On May 29, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Hroysman has publicly linked Moscow to what seemed to be the murder in Kyiv of Arkady Babchenko, who fled to Ukraine after what the journalist had called "political harassment" in Russia.

The next day, Babchenko appeared at a press conference organzied by Ukraine's security service, the SBU, to reveal his role in an elaborate sting operation that involved staging his murder, in order to thwart an alleged assassination plot.

The initial news sent shock waves across Ukraine and Russia, where dozens of journalists have been targeted for assassination for their work. The later news that it was fake sent yet more shock waves, including for those who were still mourning Babchenko.

RFE/RL reporters in Kyiv and Prague are available for comment:

Christopher Miller, RFE/RL Senior Correspondent (in Kyiv; English, Russian)
millerjchristopher@gmail.com, Twitter: @ChristopherJM

Timur Olevskiy, TV Anchor, Current Time TV (in Prague, Russian) olevskiyt@rferl.org, +420 221 122 531

Halyna Krychkovska, RFE/RL Ukrainian Service Head of Coverage (in Kyiv; English, Ukrainian, Russian)
KrychkovskaG@rferl.org

Maryana Drach, RFE/RL Ukrainian Service Director (in Prague; English, Ukrainian, Russian)
DrachM@rferl.org; Twitter: @MaryanaDrach1


To schedule an interview with any of RFE/RL's experts, contact Martins Zvaners in Washington, zvanersm@rferl.org, +202.457.6948 or Joanna Levison in Prague, levisonj@rferl.org, +420 221.122.080

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