Post by Optimus on Jun 4, 2018 15:57:45 GMT -5
I'm surprised nobody has posted about this already (and, if someone has, apologies that I didn't see it). It's kind of a cool story that seems like something straight out of a spy movie or episode of Law and Order: SVU (back when they faked the death of ADA Cabot):
Link to article
The fallout hasn't all been high-fiving positivity, as critics fear this might tarnish the credibility of the Ukranian govt and security officials in the future.
It also makes me wonder how long the rest of the world is going to put up with Putin's illegal thuggery.
For those who don’t know, here’s what happened: A couple of days ago, the terrible news broke that Arkady Babchenko, a tough, anti-Putin Russian journalist who lives in exile in Kiev, had been murdered in his own apartment building. His friends went into mourning; his obituaries were written; plaques were put up and prizes planned in his name. Foreign diplomats expressed concern and anger. Of course, the Russian media rushed out what appeared to be a previously prepared narrative, mostly criticizing the “chaos” in Ukraine and the “failures” of the Ukrainian authorities. The anxiety among Ukrainian journalists was real, and the nervousness was contagious: When I told people early this week that I was on my way to Kiev, they sent little notes of concern: “Watch your back.”
On Wednesday evening, the Ukrainian security services turned the tables. At a news conference, they announced that Babchenko was not dead. His murder had been staged in order to catch a contract killer who had been paid $40,000 to assassinate him and who was planning to kill others. Babchenko walked into the room. People cheered. The security services gloated: They had, they said, used the fake murder to catch the middleman who paid the would-be assassin.
On Wednesday evening, the Ukrainian security services turned the tables. At a news conference, they announced that Babchenko was not dead. His murder had been staged in order to catch a contract killer who had been paid $40,000 to assassinate him and who was planning to kill others. Babchenko walked into the room. People cheered. The security services gloated: They had, they said, used the fake murder to catch the middleman who paid the would-be assassin.
Link to article
The fallout hasn't all been high-fiving positivity, as critics fear this might tarnish the credibility of the Ukranian govt and security officials in the future.
It also makes me wonder how long the rest of the world is going to put up with Putin's illegal thuggery.
