In addition to the head of the investigative journalism department of Ukrainska Pravda (UP) Mykhailo Tkach and his colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko — two alleged employees of Ukrainian military intelligence were also detained in Austria — but this was back on October 5.
This was reported by the Der Standard media.
They were taken into custody on October 7. The court explained that the suspects were kept in custody because they could commit new crimes, obstruct the investigation, or flee.
They will be held in custody until October 21. Both men deny the charges against them. Journalists specify that it is unknown how long the Ukrainians were in Austria and how law enforcement officers drew attention to them. Authorities said that these issues are being investigated.
The Ukrainians are suspected of working for a foreign intelligence service to the detriment of Austria (§ 256 of the Criminal Code).
- On October 8, the editorial office of the Ukrainian News Agency stated that Mykhailo Tkach and cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko were illegally detained in Vienna while they were carrying out an editorial assignment related to the search for former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
- Tkach was released on October 9. The editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda Sevgil Musayeva stated that Tkach was held in Vienna for over 12 hours, but that morning there was no contact with him.
- The Vienna prosecutorʼs office later said that Tkach and Bondarenko were detained on suspicion of espionage, but this was not confirmed.
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