The image of Arkady Babchenko's 'dead' body was widely circulated, before he appeared at today's press conference. Photo / AP
Arkady Babchenko, the Russian journalist reportedly murdered in Kiev, faked his death as part of a sting operation to "expose Russian agents" who were plotting his killing, Ukrainian officials have said.
The 41-year-old appeared at a press conference alongside the head of the Ukrainian security service today, the target="_blank">Daily Telegraph reports.
Babchenko, who was visibly tearful, said: "Special apologies to my wife. Olechka, I am sorry, but there were no options here.
"The operation took two months to prepare. I was told a month ago. As a result of the operation, one person has been captured, he is being held."
Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), said the sting had been set up in order to thwart a genuine plot against Babchenko's life.
"I can now reveal details of the SBU special operation, thanks to which we were able not only to thwart a cynical provocation, but also document the Russian special service's preparations for this low crime," Gritsak told journalists in Kiev.
"I could offer my condolences to to Arkady Babchenko's family, but I will not. On the contrary, today I congratulate Arkady on his third birthday in this hall," he added before Babchenko entered the room.
Babchenko has previously described a narrow escape with death while reporting the war in Ukraine in 2014 as his "second birthday."
Babchenko's death was announced yesterday and sent shockwaves through the Russian journalistic community.
Babchenko, known for his sharp criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was reported to have been found by his wife in a pool of blood at their Kiev apartment after apparently having been shot in the back.
He died in the ambulance on the way to hospital, Ukrainian police earlier said.
His murder had been ordered by Russian security services, the head of Ukraine's security service had earlier claimed.
Реакція журналістів ATR 😍
— Радіо Свобода (@radiosvoboda) May 30, 2018
Відео - Kateryna Lisunova pic.twitter.com/GmkBcXc157
"According to information received by the Ukrainian security service, the killing of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko was ordered by the Russian security services themselves," Gritsak told the news conference.
Gritsak said the reason for SBU's elaborate plan to fake Babchenko's death had been to catch the Ukrainian man hired to kill him, and his Russian paymasters.
Gritsak said investigators had identified a Ukrainian citizen who had been recruited and paid US$40,000 by the Russian security service to organize the killing.
The unnamed Ukrainian had in turn hired an acquaintance as the gunman, who they had also identified, and both men had been arrested.
However, Gritsak did not reveal how the SBU had been able to trace the chain of events from the two unnamed Ukrainian men, back to the Russians, nor how they could prove that they were the ones responsible for paying them.
The SBU later released a video purportedly showing them arresting a man in Kiev today, who they claim is a suspected Russian agent who they say ordered the hit on Babchenko. They did not identify the man and gave no extra detail.
When Babchenko, who has six daughters, five of whom are adopted, was ushered into the room he said: "Apologies to my wife, Olechka (Olga).
"I'm sorry, but there were no other options. The operation was being prepared for two months.
"They told me a month ago. As the result of the operation, a man is taken, he is in custody."
One Ukrainian minister compared the operation to a Sherlock Holmes plot, where the fictional detective had staged his own death.
Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has said they will provide protection to Babchenko and his family.
"Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are becoming stronger every day in countering Russian aggression," Poroshenko said on Twitter.
"It is unlikely that Moscow will calm down - I've given an order to provide Arkady and his family with protection."
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "The fact that Babchenko is alive is the best news," but added that Ukraine was using the case for "propaganda".
Russian senator Sergey Kalashnikov claimed Ukraine was guilty of "continuous fake information on all issues".
Babchenko, a former soldier in the Chechen war who became one of Russia's best-known war correspondents, had left his homeland fearing for his life after criticising Russian policy in Ukraine and Syria.
His apparent death had been reported in Ukraine yesterday, with Kiev police saying he had been shot dead after returning to his home after going food shopping.
Arkady Babchenko is actually alive, the whole death thing was actually a special operation to catch those plotting to kill him, he says at a press conference. Wow. Only in Ukraine https://t.co/hwvDfGdyJs pic.twitter.com/W1R98JQqSA
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 30, 2018
Ukrainian police spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo had said Babchenko was found bleeding by his wife after she heard shooting, adding that he died in an ambulance on his way to hospital.
Images circulated of Babchenko lying on his front with holes in the back of his shirt, and a pool of blood underneath him.
"The first and the most probable [reason for his murder] is his professional activity," Kiev police chief Andriy Kryshchenko had said at a televised press briefing earlier today.
Ukrainian authorities even released a drawing of the man they suspect is Babchenko's assassin, around 40-45 years old, with a grey beard and wearing a cap.
Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Gerashchenko admitted that he had been among a "limited circle of people" who knew that the "murder" had been staged.
Writing on Facebook he said: "Arkady Babchenko is alive.
"As a result of a brilliant special operation conducted by Ukrainian law enforcers, the killer who was ordered to murder Arkady and the organiser of the murder were detained.
"In order to document the customers and organisers of the crime - the representatives of the Russian special services, they had to be assured that the hired killer had successfully completed the order.
"The fact that the murder of Arkady Babchenko was staged was known to a very limited circle of people.
"This was done in the interests of preventing the slightest possibility of information leakage.
"To do this, law enforcement officers had to stage a large-scale information security operation.
"This entailed publishing pictures of the allegedly murdered Arkady Babchenko, and distributing the identikit of the alleged killer with a Caucasian appearance.
"To create a picture of full reality, statements about the death of Arkady were made by officials of our National Police.
"Law enforcers clearly understood that the news of the murder of Arkady Babchenko would be a pain for thousands of hearts around the world. But they had no other choice.
"In order to trace and document the chain from the killer to the organisers and customers it was necessary to create in them full confidence that the order was executed and force them to take a number of actions that will be documented by the investigation.
"After all, even Sherlock Holmes successfully used the method of staging his own death for the effective investigation of complex and intricate crimes. No matter how painful it was for his relatives and friends.
"A unique special operation to prevent the murder of Arkady Babchenko is an example of effective cooperation between the Security Service and the National Police in the prevention of terrorist acts and political murders.
"Unique is also the fact that there was no leakage of information about this special operation either before the staging of the murder of Arkady Babchenko or after.
"This suggests that we have learned to fight on the invisible front of confrontation with Russian special services.
"I thank all honest and daring staff of the Security Service, the National Police and the Prosecutor's Office for your contribution to the protection of the National Security of Ukraine and for saving the lives of Arkady Babchenko, Igor Bogdanov, me and other targets of Russian saboteurs.
"I wish Arkady Babchenko health and long life."
After being blamed for Babchenko's death, Russian authorities had furiously denied the blame, with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying earlier today that it was "very sad" Moscow had been accused of murdering the reporter.
"The Ukrainian prime minister is already talking about how it was done by Russian secret services," he said.
"This fashion of conducting international affairs is very sad," Lavrov told reporters, and investigators in Moscow opened their own probe.
"The Investigative Committee is not going to turn a blind eye to the cruel crimes against Russian citizens," it said in a statement.
- additional reporting Daily Mail
Twenty-seven locations in Kyiv were hit, including residential buildings.