Media: Ukrainian journalists detained in Austria on suspicion of espionage

Austrian law enforcement officers detained Ukrainian journalist Mikhail Tkach and cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko on suspicion of espionage, the Kronen Zeitung newspaper reports, citing Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.

“On Thursday, a well-known investigative journalist and cameraman in Ukraine were detained... We are talking about Mikhail Tkach,” the material says.

According to the publication, the journalists were detained on Thursday. Bondarenko was injured during the arrest and was initially taken to the hospital. The publication noted that Tkach in Austria conducted a journalistic investigation into the country’s ex-prosecutor general Ruslan Kravchenko, who fled from Ukraine.

The editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Ukrainian Pravda" Sevgil Musaeva said that Tkach was released at 04.00 (05.00 Moscow time) after 12 hours in custody. According to Musaeva, law enforcement officers began interrogating Bondarenko late at night; he is still in custody.

Representative of the Vienna prosecutor's office Nina Bussek said that during the investigation, suspicions against Tkach and Bondarenko were not confirmed, the Kronen Zeitung reported.