Russia demands Kiev free arrested RIA Novosti journalist
Moscow yesterday called for a Russian journalist detained in Ukraine for treason to be freed, condemning Kiev authorities for what it said was a repressive policy against the media.
"Russia will do everything to ensure its citizen is freed, and to prevent other journalists finding themselves in similar situations, whether they are Russian citizens or work for Russian media" foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a briefing.
Kyrylo Vyshynsky, a dual Ukrainian-Russian national who works for Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti, was detained in Kiev on Tuesday where officials said he would be charged with treason for his "subversive" reporting to justify Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea.
They also said Vyshynsky later collaborated with separatist groups in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict that broke out following Crimea's seizure has cost some 10,000 lives.
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