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Vyshinsky claims his exchange was discussed before official arrest

A court in Kiev released Vyshinsky on his own recognizance earlier on Wednesday

MOSCOW, August 28. /TASS/. RIA Novosti Ukraine Chief Editor Kirill Vyshinsky stated that Ukrainian politicians had been discussing his potential exchange before the charges were brought against him, the journalist said on Wednesday during an interview with the Rossiya-1 channel.

"People from the Ukrainian political establishment first brought up my exchange when a search of my apartment was conducted. At that point, the Ukrainian politicians were already talking about my exchange, and this is absurd: no charges had been brought yet, but they wanted to exchange a person," Vyshinsky said.

A court in Kiev released Vyshinsky on his own recognizance earlier on Wednesday. The court ruled that the journalist is obliged to report to court upon demand, refrain from contacting witnesses in this case and notify the court about any changes concerning his place of residence and work. However, the journalist’s passport will be kept at the prosecutor’s office. Vyshinsky’s defense attorneys plan to request the return of his ID.

On May 15, 2018, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) carried out a large-scale operation against RIA Novosti Ukraine staff members, accusing them of high treason. The news outlet’s Chief Editor Kirill Vyshinsky was arrested. The SBU issued a statement claiming that "a network of media structures, which Moscow used for carrying out a hybrid war" against Kiev had been exposed. Charges against Vyshinsky are particularly based on a number of the journalist’s articles dedicated to the 2014 events in Crimea. If found guilty, the journalist may face up to 15 years behind bars.