The murder of journalist Arkady Babchenko in Kiev was staged. This was stated at a press conference by representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The journalist himself appeared on it.

The SBU also announced the detention of a suspect in the preparation of an attempt on Babchenko. According to the head of the special service Vasil Hrytsak, Russian secret services recruited a former participant in the antiterrorist operation in the east of Ukraine, who was offered $ 30,000 to commit the murder. However, the Security Service managed to prevent the murder.

"I could bring my condolences to the family of Arkady Babchenko, but I will not do it. On the contrary, today I congratulate Arkady on his third birthday and invite him to the hall, "said Gritsak, after which Babchenko entered the room.

The journalist said that the operation was being prepared for two months, he was informed about it a month ago. Babchenko did not say this to friends and family, including his wife, whom he apologized to for this.

The journalist noted that information about him came from Russia, the attempted assassins had a photograph of his passport and "such information can be possessed by special services".

Member of the college of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada deputy Anton Geraschenko wrote in Facebook that for credibility, the production photography of the allegedly murdered Babchenko was made and published, and the "sketch" of the "killer" was distributed.

On the murder Babchenko was announced in the evening on May 29. The first to write about this in the facebook was Aider Muzhdabaev, deputy general director of the Crimean Tatar television channel ATR, where he works as a journalist. The police claimed that Babchenko was killed by three shots in the back in the entrance of his house. On the Internet appeared a photo of his body allegedly with gunshot wounds and a fototer of the alleged killer.

Ukrainian and Russian officials blamed each other for what happened.