Russian journalist killed at residence in Kiev

According to sources, Mr Babchenko had left his apartment to buy provisions and was killed upon his return. 

The incident is being treated as an assassination, with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman having already accused Russia of plotting Mr Babchenko’s murder. 

Working as a Kremlin critic, Mr Babchenko was indeed a popular hate figure for the Russian capital of Moscow. 

"I am confident that the Russian totalitarian machine did not forgive him his honesty and principled stance," says Mr Grosyman. 

The Ukrainian Prime Minister furthermore added that the Russian journalist was a “true friend of Ukraine who was telling the world the truth about Russian investigation”. 

In responding to Ukraine, Moscow has wholeheartedly denied any allegation that the Russian Government has had anything to do with the journalist’s murder. 

In fact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has coined the accusation from Ukraine as being part of the country’s anti-Russian campaign. Furthermore, in a statement, Mr Lavrov also brought to light the reality that journalists have been killed with impunity in Ukraine in the past. 

According to the Kremlin, Ukraine has become a “very dangerous place” for journalists and the capital of Kiev is not offering adequate protection for them. 

On this note, Russia has said that “bloody crimes” has become routine for the “Kiev regime”. Nonetheless, the country has opened up an investigation for Mr Babchenko’s murder. 

A drawing of Mr Babchenko’s assassin has recently been released, depicting a man aged being 40 and 45, with a beard and wearing a cap.

Source: Sky News

In addressing the ongoing investigation, head of Kiev police Andrei Krischenko has said that the police are approaching the case with two motives in mind: Mr Babchenko’s work and his civic postion. 

Furthermore, Dmitry Muratov, founder of the Novaya Gazeta paper to which Mr Babchenko had written for, has said that his publication are commencing with their own individual inquiry into the attack. 

“100 per cent this is connected to his journalism," Muratov said. "I can't tell you who did it, but I can tell you we're going to try to find out."