"This stage of a pre-trial investigation into the premeditated murder of Pavlo Sheremet allows to suggest that the offense has been carefully plotted by a group of persons as a contract murder. The investigation does not exclude a version of assassination, ordered from Russia," Avakov said.
The minister added that the probe is ongoing.
At the press conference, a compilation was presented of videos shot from different CCTV cameras in the vicinity of the crime scene.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Sheremet was killed in a car blast downtown Kyiv in the morning of July 20, 2016.
Read alsoOSCE calls for thorough investigation into journalist Shchetinin's deathProsecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said the main version of the murder was revenge for his professional activities.
Arsen Avakov previously did not rule out that Russia could be involved in the journalist’s death. He also said that the National Police would provide a UAH 200,000 reward for any information relating to this crime.
Read alsoCCTV footage shows female suspect planting explosives under Sheremet’s car (video)Earlier today, February 8, the minister said that the investigation had been studying four main versions of Sheremet’s murder, while the version related with the journalist’s professional activities remained a priority.
