Editor-in-chief of RIA Novosti-Ukraine accused of illegal possession of weapons
The editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian of RIA Novosti- Ukraine,Kirill Vyshinsky, who was previously indicted in Ukraine on charges of treason, has been accused of illegal possession of weapons, stated press-secretary of the Prosecutor General Larisa Sargan.
“Vyshinsky was indicted on another criminal offense, part 1 page 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unlawful acquisition, storage of firearms and ammunition) ”,- she wrote on her Facebook page.
Sargan recalled, that during searches of Vyshinsky’s rented individual bank safe, a gun and cartridges were found and seized.The forensic-ballistic report showed that the firearm was a self-loading rifle gun, the FN Browning M1906
On May 15, 2018, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a search of the editorial staff of RIA Novosti-Ukraine in Kyiv, as well as the residences of some of the employees. That very day the editor-in-chief of the information agency was detained. As a Ukrainian citizen, he was accused of treason and he was arrested.
In the beginning of June, the SBU reported that in the journalist's deposit box they found a contract with Russian news agency Rossiya Segodnya for providing services, as well as an item “that looked like a gun” and more than $200 thousand.
Vyshinsky also has Russian citizenship. After the arrest he announced his intention of renouncing his Ukrainian citizenship. His lawyers sent the appropriate statement to the administration of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko.