Sensitive Investigations

Espionage Thriller Involving Four Ukrainians in Vienna

The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) is once again investigating a sensitive espionage case.(Bild: AFP)

A new espionage thriller in Vienna, a hotbed of espionage. The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) is conducting a high-profile investigation into four Ukrainians.

According to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), two suspects arrested earlier this week are already in pretrial detention. A well-known investigative journalist in Ukraine and a cameraman were also taken into custody on Thursday. Karner revealed that the cameraman remains in custody, while the journalist has since been released.

Head of Agency Went Into Hiding, Journalist Was Hot on His Heels
The journalist in question is Mychajlo Tkatsch (see photo in the post below), one of Ukraine’s best-known investigative journalists. The head of the investigative department at “Ukrayinska Pravda” had been researching the fugitive Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, the media outlet reported. He is said to have been hot on the heels of the high-ranking official in the Danube metropolis. The man, who has gone into hiding in Vienna, is wanted by his home country on charges including suspected corruption. Kyiv has issued an arrest warrant for him.

Tkach was released at 4 a.m. on Friday after twelve hours in police custody, wrote “Ukrajinska Prawda” editor-in-chief Sevhil Musayeva on Facebook on Friday morning (see post below).

Camera Operator Allegedly Injured
Cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko, who was arrested along with Tkatsch, was reportedly injured during the arrest and was “in the hospital.” Musayeva explained that Bondarenko’s interrogation did not begin until late at night.

Ukrainian newspaper demands explanations
“The allegations made against our colleagues during their arrest are unlike anything our editorial team has ever dealt with before. This raises serious questions,” the editor-in-chief wrote. She is awaiting explanations from Austrian law enforcement officials.

Pro-Ukraine demonstrators gathered Friday morning in front of the Ministry of the Interior in downtown Vienna.(Bild: Kronen Zeitung)

The role each suspect plays in this gripping espionage thriller is the subject of ongoing investigations. “In the course of other investigations, suspicions have arisen against two additional individuals, but they have not been substantiated,” said Nina Bussek, spokesperson for the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office, referring to Tkatch and Bondarenko. One of these individuals has been released, while the second is still being questioned. However, it currently appears that the suspicion against this person has not been substantiated either. She could not say more on the matter, including whether the high-ranking government official was among those arrested.

Zelenskyy Already Informed
The Ukrainian Embassy in Vienna had already stepped in and intervened to secure the journalist’s release. “We expect a prompt official statement from the relevant Austrian authorities regarding the circumstances and the legal basis for his arrest,” said a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Embassy in Vienna. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also been informed about the sensitive case.