Ukraine's Media Movement calls for exchange of Russian propagandist Molchanov for Ukrainian journalist Khyliuk
Ukrainian journalists and media professionals, members of Mediarukh (Media Movement), have called on the authorities to exchange the detained Russian "political expert" Kirill Molchanov, a propagandist from the circle of Putin's close friend Viktor Medvedchuk [a former Ukrainian MP and businessman deprived of Ukrainian citizenship – ed.], for Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khyliuk, who has been in Russian captivity for more than three years.
Source: Detector Media with reference to the statement of Mediarukh
Details: It is noted that Ukrainian journalist Dmytro Khyliuk was abducted by the Russians on 3 March 2022 during the occupation of part of Kyiv Oblast. He was captured in the yard of his home in Kozarovychi near Kyiv. At first, he was held in occupied Dymer, then taken to a detention centre in Russia.
The statement notes that Russia does not officially recognise the fact of his captivity, which complicates any attempts to release him. This is due to the fact that international humanitarian law prohibits the detention of civilians in captivity, and therefore there is no official mechanism for the exchange of such people – they must be released outside of the exchange process.
Quote: "Since Ukraine already has experience of exchanging civilians in the interests of the state – Viktor Medvedchuk was exchanged for 215 captured Ukrainian defenders – we call on the President of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, and other state structures to release Dmytro Khyliuk from Russian captivity by exchanging him for the suspected collaborator Molchanov."
Previously: On 1 April, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that a Russian agent, a "political expert" from the circle of Putin's close friend Viktor Medvedchuk, propagandist Kirill Molchanov, had been transferred to Ukraine. He was initially detained in Poland and is currently being held in a detention centre in Kyiv.
Background:
According to the Media Initiative for Human Rights, Ukraine is currently aware of 31 Ukrainian journalists abducted by Russian forces and held captive in Russia.
Khyliuk was abducted by Russian forces on 3 March 2022 near his home in Kozarovychi, a village in Kyiv Oblast. He was sent through Belarusian territory to Novozybkov, Bryansk Oblast, Russia, which is where most of the citizens who were detained in Kyiv Oblast during the occupation were taken.
On 9 July 2024, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament's Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a briefing that Ukraine had unofficial information on the whereabouts of Dmytro Khyliuk, a correspondent for the UNIAN news agency abducted by the Russians.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
15 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Harvard researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos faces detention hearing
BOSTON (AP) — A Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos into the United States faces a detention hearing in Massachusetts on Thursday. Kseniia Petrova, 30, has been in federal custody since February and is seeking to be released. Petrova was returning from a vacation in France, where she had stopped at a lab specializing in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package of samples for research. She was later questioned about the samples while passing through a U.S. Customs and Border Protection checkpoint at Boston Logan International Airport. She told The Associated Press in an interview in April that she did not realize the items needed to be declared and was not trying to sneak anything into the country. After an interrogation, Petrova was told her visa was being canceled. Petrova was briefly detained by immigration officials in Vermont, where she filed a petition seeking her release. She was later sent to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility facility in Louisiana. The Department of Homeland Security had said in a statement on the social media platform X that Petrova was detained after 'lying to federal officers about carrying substances into the country.' They allege that messages on her phone 'revealed she planned to smuggle the materials through customs without declaring them.' In May, Petrova was charged with smuggling in Massachusetts as a federal judge in Vermont set the hearing date on her petition. That judge later ruled that the immigration officers' actions were unlawful, that Petrova didn't present a danger, and that the embryos were nonliving, nonhazardous and 'posed a threat to no one.' The judge released Petrova from ICE custody, but she remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service on the smuggling charge. Colleagues and academics have testified on Petrova's behalf, saying she is doing valuable research to advance cures for cancer.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russia reportedly redeploys bombers to Far East bases after Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb
Russia has redeployed dozens of long-range bombers to more remote bases within the country, Russian independent media outlet Agentstvo reported on June 11, citing OSINT analyst AviVector. The relocation comes in the wake of Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb, the unprecedented mass drone strike on June 1 that targeted four Russian air bases deep inside the country. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said 117 drones were launched from hidden positions across Russia, damaging 41 aircraft, including Tu-95, Tu-22M3, and Tu-160 bombers. According to Agentstvo, all Tu-160 bombers have been evacuated from Belaya airfield in Irkutsk Oblast and Olenya airfield in Murmansk Oblast. Some were relocated to Anadyr in Chukotka, Yelizovo in Kamchatka, and Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan. Tu-22M3 and Tu-95MS bombers were also redeployed. Eleven Tu-22M3s and all Tu-95MS aircraft near Murmansk reportedly relocated to the Ukrainka airfield in Amur Oblast, Engels-2 in Saratov Oblast, Borisoglebskoye in Tatarstan, and Mozdok in North Ossetia. The reported relocation of bombers is the latest sign that Ukraine's drone warfare is forcing the Kremlin to rethink its strategic posture, even far from the front lines. Western analysts and military officials praised Ukraine's ingenuity in the Spiderweb operation. NATO Admiral Pierre Vandier called the mission a modern reinvention of the "Trojan Horse," demonstrating Ukraine's growing technical sophistication and deep-strike capability. President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that roughly half of the targeted aircraft are damaged beyond repair. Russia has acknowledged losses but insisted all damaged aircraft will be restored. We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Montenegro to join EU military training mission for Ukrainian troops
After a nine-month delay, Montenegrin lawmakers have approved the deployment of Montenegrin Armed Forces personnel to the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). Source: Radio Liberty, as reported by European Pravda Details: The decision to join the EU mission was submitted to parliament nine months ago but only passed now, with 49 of 81 MPs voting in favour of it. The resolution stated the deployment aims to "strengthen the capacity of Ukraine's Armed Forces to defend the country's territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, as well as to deter and respond to the current military offensives by the Russian Federation and other potential aggressors". Opposition parties accused Parliament Speaker Andrija Mandić, a known opponent of NATO and supporter of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, of delaying the vote. His party, part of the ruling coalition, opposes NATO membership and the sanctions Montenegro imposed on Russia following its aggression against Ukraine. Montenegro joined NATO in 2017 under the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), which was ousted from power in 2020. DPS noted that "90% of today's parliamentary majority did not vote for NATO accession", referring to the delay in approving the EU mission. Defence Minister Dragan Krapović emphasised multiple times that the mission would not involve the deployment of Montenegrin troops to Ukrainian territory. "I want this to be absolutely clear. I would never support that. All mission activities take place on EU territory, in Poland and Germany," Krapović stressed. The EU mission is one of two so-called Ukrainian missions launched after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, in which Montenegro is expected to participate. The second is organised by NATO. On 7 February this year, Montenegro's Defence and Security Council adopted a draft decision to join NATO's NSATU programme – security assistance and training for Ukraine. Council members – President Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić and Speaker Andrija Mandić – agreed that Montenegrin involvement in NSATU must be limited to NATO territory. NATO will coordinate the training of Ukrainian security forces under this initiative. The final decision on Montenegro's participation in NSATU will be made by its parliament. Background: The EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine was launched on 17 October 2022 with an initial two-year mandate. It is funded through the European Peace Facility. The mission's mandate currently runs through November 2026. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
