Head of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak says a man, recruited by the Russian special services to organize the murder of Russian opposition journalist Arkadiy Babchenko, was supposed to illegally purchase weapons to plant arms caches in central Ukraine.
"Russian intelligence set yet another task for Suspect G. Namely he was instructed to illegally purchase weapons and ammunition at the expense of Russian special services to create weapons caches in central Ukraine," he told a briefing on May 30.
It was about ordering 300 Kalashnikov assault rifles, hundreds of kilos worth of explosives, a significant number of cartridges and mortar shells, etc., Hrytsak added.
"All this has been documented as part of our sting operation," he said.
Read alsoUPDATE: Journalist Babchenko alive: His "assassination" was SBU's special operationWith regard to the contract on Babchenko's murder, the official noted that, Suspect G., besides handing over the money, "sent via a messenger [to a person he hired to do the job] a dossier on Babchenko."
"We will post on our website a copy of this dossier with blurred personal data," the SBU head said.
The dossier contains Babchenko's personal data, as well as information on his bank cards, family members, and other personal data.
The information was supposed to help the murderer search for Babchenko's places of residence and his network of contacts in Ukraine.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Arkady Babchenko, the Russian journalist who was reported to have been shot dead in Kyiv, turned up alive at a news conference in Ukraine on May 30. His staged "murder" turned out to be a sting operation by the SBU.
Video of arrest:
