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Vienna, October 8, 2026. Mykhailo Tkach, head of the investigative department of the Ukrainian news platform \u201eUkrainska Pravda\u201c, was arrested in Vienna on Thursday afternoon around 4 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The editorial office in Kyiv confirmed the incident itself and describes the procedure as unlawful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the Ukrainian medium, Tkach was in the Austrian capital as part of journalistic research, together with his colleague Yaroslav Bondarenko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Ukrainska Pravda, the background to the Vienna trip was research into the whereabouts of Ruslan Kravchenko, the former Ukrainian prosecutor general, who is reportedly staying abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tkach is regarded in Ukraine as one of the most well-known investigative journalists, his work on corruption and abuse of power in state structures has repeatedly caused a stir. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding Bondarenko's whereabouts, the editorial office initially made no statement, and according to their own account, there was initially no direct contact with Tkach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the spokesman of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Heorhii Tykhyi, the Ukrainian embassy in Vienna immediately contacted the Austrian authorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The responsible consul officially requested consular access to the detained Ukrainian citizen and is already in contact with Austrian counterparts. According to Tykhyi, the Foreign Ministry in Kyiv and the consular department are also closely following the case. Sevgil Musayeva, editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda, meanwhile demanded an immediate explanation from the Austrian authorities regarding the reasons for the arrest as well as the guarantee of legal assistance and contact with the editorial office and family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nothing is known so far about the concrete legal grounds for the arrest. According to editorial information, Tkach is said to be in a detention facility and already has contact with a lawyer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Which Austrian authority ordered the arrest and whether there is a connection to the research on Kravchenko is not publicly confirmed. Ukrainska Pravda has also called on international journalist and human rights organizations to monitor the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Austria, the case raises above all questions about the practice of detaining foreign media professionals who work as journalists in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vienna is traditionally home to numerous international organizations and is considered a hub for diplomacy between East and West, which also makes the city attractive for research on individuals from the post-Soviet region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Should a connection with the sought-after former Attorney General Kravchenko be confirmed, the case could also become relevant for cooperation between Austrian and Ukrainian judicial authorities, for example in the field of international legal assistance in corruption investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Source<\/p>\n\n\n\n