Four Ukrainians have been arrested in Vienna / Two are suspected of espionage, while a journalist has been released

Four Ukrainian citizens were arrested in Vienna this week on suspicion of conducting intelligence activities detrimental to Austria, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner confirmed on Friday. The investigation is being conducted by the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN), under Article 256 of the Austrian Criminal Code.

Two of the suspects, detained at the beginning of the week, were placed in pretrial detention. According to sources cited by APA, they are allegedly agents of Ukraine’s military intelligence service. The authorities have not specified how long they had been in Austria or how they were discovered.

On Thursday, police also arrested investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkachi and cameraman Yaroslav Bondarenko, who were in Vienna documenting an investigation concerning Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Tkachi was released after approximately 12 hours, while Bondarenko, who was injured during his detention, was hospitalized and was due to be released.

The Vienna Prosecutor’s Office said that, in the case of the two journalists, the suspicions did not appear to be confirmed. Reporters Without Borders called for the situation to be clarified and for the journalists’ materials and sources to be protected.