Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 31 May 2018
'I'm alive': Russian reporter, Ukraine police faked killing

By DMYTRO VLASOV from Russia came several
NATALIYA VASILYEVA months after he wrote in
Associated Press a Facebook post that he
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A wasn't sorry members of
Russian journalist who was a military band and state
reportedly gunned down television journalists died in
in Ukraine's capital strolled a plane crash on their way
into a news conference to Russia's military base in
that authorities called Syria.
Wednesday to discuss the Several Russian lawmakers
investigation of his death, said at the time that
revealing that the slaying Babchenko should be
had been staged to foil an stripped of his citizenship
alleged Kremlin hit plot. over the comment, and
"I'm still alive," Arkady Russian state media called
Babchenko, 41, told him a traitor.
startled fellow reporters at Ilya Ponomarev, a former
the news conference held Russian lawmaker who
less than a day after police also moved to Ukraine,
reported he had been said Babchenko continued
shot and killed at his Kiev being threatened after
apartment building. he settled last fall in Kiev,
Ukrainian police said where he worked as a host
Tuesday that Babchenko, a for the Crimean Tatar TV
strong critic of the Kremlin, station.
was shot multiple times in Babchenko did not take
the back Tuesday, found the intimidation too
bleeding there by his wife seriously, Ponomarev said
and died on the way to Wednesday before the
the hospital. Kiev's police fact that the slaying was
chief said he suspected Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, center, Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security staged came out.
the journalist was killed Service, left, and Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko attend a news conference at the Ukrainian Prosecutor
because of his work. Ukrainian Security Service on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. General Yuri Lutsenko
Details of the sting Associated Press lashed out Wednesday at
operation were not clear, Ukrainian politicians and
including why authorities affairs committee of the friends and family who perpetrate acts of terror in civil groups who accused
decided to go to such upper house of the Russian mourned for him and were Ukraine, he said. the government following
lengths to make it look as parliament, compared unaware of the plan. Babchenko said he was Babchenko's faked
if Babchenko was dead. Ukraine's allegations "I'm still alive," he said. not allowed to go into the assassination of allowing
The head of the Ukrainian to Britain's claims that "I know that sickening details of his false death. contract killings to happen.
Security Service said the Moscow was behind the feeling when you bury a He said Ukrainian law Hours before pretending
suspected organizer of nerve gas poisonings of colleague. I'm sorry you enforcement had been to have been fatally shot,
the alleged hit plot was a Russian former spy and had to go through this but aware of a contract on his Babchenko wrote on
detained Wednesday, his daughter in England. there was no other way." head for two months. He Facebook that he narrowly
suggesting the bogus killing Russia vehemently denies Before ushering Babchenko said he was approached escaped death exactly
was aimed at flushing him poisoning Sergei Skripal into the room for the by the Ukrainian Security four years ago when the
out. and his daughter, Yulia big reveal, Gritsak said Service, or SBU, a month Ukrainian military refused
Babchenko apologized to Skripal. investigators had identified ago. to take him on a helicopter
his wife, who he said was "The logic is the same — to a Ukrainian citizen who "The important thing is heading to the front line
not briefed on the scheme defame Russia," Kosachev allegedly was paid $40,000 my life has been saved in eastern Ukraine. The
in advance, "for the hell she told the state news agency by the Russian security and other, bigger terrorist aircraft was shot down
had to go through in the Tass. service to organize and attacks have been minutes later.
past two days. There was Neither Babchenko nor carry out the hit. The thwarted," he said. "I was lucky, it was my
no choice there, either." Ukrainian Security Service unidentified Ukrainian man Babchenko, one of Russia's second birthday," he wrote
The astonishing turn of chief Vasyl Gritsak provided in turn allegedly hired an best-known war reporters, Tuesday.
events brought harsh details of how they staged acquaintance to be the fled the country in February Gritsak, the security service
criticism from Russia and Babchenko's injuries or gunman, Gritsak said. 2017. He spoke and wrote chief, ended his remarks
the international media made his wife believe he The man allegedly paid to about needed to leave Wednesday congratulating
advocacy group Reporters was dead. organize Banchenko's killing Russia because of threats Babchenko on his "third
Without Borders. The movie-like twist came was detained Wednesday, against him and his family. birthday."q
The journalist group's as Gritsak convened he said, showing a video of He said his home address
director, Christophe the news conference to the arrest. was published online and
Deloire, expressed on announce the security Gritsak said killing the threats he received
Twitter his "deepest agency and the police Babchenko was part of were made by phone,
indignation at the discovery had solved Babchenko's a larger alleged plot by email and social media.
of the manipulation of the reported slaying. He then Russian security services. Moscow's annexation of
Ukrainian secret services. It confused everyone there The Ukrainian man also was Crimea and support for
is always deeply dangerous by inviting the supposed supposed to procure large separatist insurgents in
for states to play with the slaying victim into the room. quantities of weapons and eastern Ukraine were topics
facts." To applause and gasps, explosives, including 300 on which the journalist
Konstantin Kosachev, Babchenko took the floor AK-47 rifles and "hundreds was scathingly critical
head of the international and apologized to the of kilos of explosives," to of the Kremlin. His flight