Journalist Arkady Babchenko did not die. In the afternoon of May 30, Babchenko appeared before journalists at a press briefing of the Security Bureau of Ukraine (SBU). SBU officials also said that a person suspected of preparing the attempted assassination of the journalist was detained.
The organizer of the "assassination" of Russian opposition journalist Arkady Babchenko was detained in Kiev a few hours ago, the director of the SBU, Vasily Grytsak said at a press briefing on May 30.
"About three hours ago, we detained the organizer of this crime in the city of Kiev. The person is being interrogated, places of his residence and temporary stay are being searched," Gritsak said.
Earlier, Gritsak said that it was Russian special services that ordered the assassination of Russian opposition journalist Arkady Babchenko.
"According to the information obtained by the Security Bureau of Ukraine, Russian special services ordered the assassination of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko. At least, this data is available at the SBU as of today," said Gritsak.
Gritsak also said that the attack against Russian citizen Babchenko was only a part of the operation conducted by Russian special services to physically exterminate citizens of the Russian Federation who were forced to leave the territory of the Russian Federation because of their political beliefs.
Russian special services, Gritsak continued, recruited a Ukrainian citizen to kill Babchenko.
"We have documented that special services of the Russian Federation recruited a Ukrainian citizen - today I will name the initial letter of his surname - "G"- who was asked to find executors of the daring murder for remuneration. Citizen "G" offered a friend of his - a former ATO fighter - a remuneration of 30,000 dollars to commit the terrorist attack - the assassination of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko," said Gritsak.
Arkady Babchenko himself, speaking at the press conference, asked forgiveness from his wife and relatives for not informing them of his participation in the special operation. The journalist said that he learned about the preparation of the assassination attempt a month ago.
In the evening of May 29, it was reported that journalist Arkady Babchenko was killed in his apartment building, when someone fired three bullets in his back.