On the night of October 8 to 9, 2026, journalists from 'Ukrainian Pravda' — Mikhail Tkach and Yaroslav Bondarenko — were detained in Vienna. After being held for over 12 hours, Tkach was released, but there is still no contact with him.
Circumstances of the Detention
The journalists were detained while carrying out editorial tasks. According to the chief editor of 'UP', Sevgi Musaieva, Tkach was detained around 16:00, and his colleague Bondarenko was injured during the detention. Musaieva noted that Tkach had previously been detained in other countries but was released within one and a half to two hours.
Status of the Journalists and Procedural Situation
After Tkach's release, the 'UP' editorial team is unable to contact him and does not know his procedural status. Yaroslav Bondarenko, who was injured, was taken to the hospital, where police only began his interrogation at night. Musaieva emphasized that the charges brought against the journalists are unusual and raise serious questions.
Reaction from 'UP'
The editorial team of 'Ukrainian Pravda' expresses concern over the incident and the lack of communication with the journalists. Musaieva called for a prompt clarification of the situation and the protection of journalists' rights who are fulfilling their professional duties.