Ukraine blames Moscow for murder of anti-Kremlin journalist

Ukraine charged yesterday that Russia’s “totalitarian machine” was behind the murder of anti-Kremlin reporter Arkady Babchenko, prompting Moscow to furiously deny the blame.

A prominent Russian war correspondent famous for his fierce tirades against Moscow, Babchenko was shot dead on Tuesday evening in an apparent contract- style killing in the stairwell of his building in Kiev. The 41-year- old had moved to the Ukrainian capital last year following a campaign of harassment in Moscow.

He was the latest Kremlin critic living in Kiev to be killed in less than two years.

Ukrainian police have opened a probe into premeditated murder, saying they suspected the crime was linked to his “professional activities”.

“I am convinced that the Russian totalitarian machine did not forgive him his honesty and principled stance,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said late Tuesday.

“A true friend of Ukraine who was telling the world the truth about Russian aggression. His murderers should be punished.”

An aide to the Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko, also pointed the finger at Moscow, writing on Facebook: “The Putin regime targets those it cannot break or intimidate.”

He said the Ukrainian government should ensure the safety of Babchenko’s family.

Many politicians and observers including Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin suggested Russia wanted to sow chaos in the country – already wracked by a four-year conflict with pro-Russian rebels in the east – ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections next year. — AFP