Two Ukrainians were arrested in Austria for suspicion of espionage, while two journalists from the same country were also arrested, but later released, today announced the Austrian authorities.
© Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images
09/10/2026
by
Lusa
Two Ukrainians
Dukrainians were arrested in Austria for suspicion of espionage, while two journalists from the same country were also arrested, but later released, announced today the Austrian authorities.
The first two people were arrested on Monday and the rest on Thursday, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told the press without revealing the identities of the suspects.
“They are suspected of espionage. Investigations are ongoing,” Karner said, adding that he cannot provide more information.
According to the Austrian agency APA, the two men who remain detained will be members of Ukrainian military intelligence services.
Regarding the other two people, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor clarified, for her part, that they were arrested on the basis of “suspects that were not confirmed”.
“ One has been released and the second must be released today”, added the spokesman.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper identified the two men as journalist Mykhailo Tkach and image reporter Yaroslav Bondarenko.
Tkach, head of the Ukrainska Pravda research department, was arrested in Vienna when conducting a journalistic investigation related to former Ukrainian Attorney General Ruslan Kravtchenko, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, according to the newspaper.
The journalist was detained for about 12 hours.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fired Kravtchenko last month.
“Yaroslav Bondarenko was injured during detention and was hospitalized. The police only started questioning him late at night”, wrote on social media Facebook the newspaper director, Sevgil Musaieva.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the arrests and asked the Austrian authorities to clarify “completely these events” and ensure the protection of journalists’ material and sources.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now confirmed the release of Tkach and has said to continue working with the Austrian authorities “to clarify the circumstances of detention”.