Russian journalist fakes his own death in sting to foil murder plot
MOSCOW — In a twist worthy of a Russian novel, a prominent Kremlin critic and journalist — whose purported slaying a day earlier in the Ukrainian capital had prompted a wave of grief and outrage — emerged alive and well Wednesday, with officials explaining they had mounted an elaborate sting to foil a death plot against him.
The journalist, 41-year-old Arkady Babchenko, apologized to all for the deception, first and foremost to his wife, Olga. Flanked by law enforcement officials at a news conference in Kiev, he said he had agreed to pose as his own corpse to give authorities their best chance to ensnare those who wanted him dead.
The episode illustrated the climate of pervasive lawlessness in Ukraine, the volatile tensions between Russia and its former republic, and the ongoing danger to those who run afoul of the Kremlin.
But there was wide unease that the unusual decision to stage a journalist’s death could muddy the waters when it comes to claims and counterclaims about similar — real — cases. Kiev has been the scene of a number of unsolved killings of journalists and dissidents. At the news conference, the head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasily Gritsak, said the agency hatched the operation after it became aware of an attempt to target the journalist, for which he blamed Russian authorities.
On Tuesday, police had reported that Babchenko, a veteran war correspondent who fled Russia and sought haven in Kiev last year, was shot multiple times outside his apartment and died en route to the hospital. The news conference Wednesday drew a crowd of journalists who were expecting to be updated about the investigation into his killing.
The sight of Babchenko, speaking calmly and clad in a black hoodie, drew gasps and widened eyes among his colleagues that swiftly gave way to cheers and applause. He and authorities said that the plan to fake his death had been in place for more than a month.
Authorities said they arrested one person: a Ukrainian citizen they said was recruited by Russia to find and hire a contract killer. The price for the killing was $30,000, they said, with $10,000 more going to the intermediary.
But there was no explanation as to how exactly the suspect was flushed out, or how officials thought it would prevent planned attacks against Babchenko and others from going forward.