Ukraine Ex-Prosecutor Blames State for Vienna Plot

Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko accused state agencies of organizing a violent operation against him in Austria. He claims the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) requested a group be sent to carry out unlawful acts of violence. Kravchenko says this group operated on orders from the Office of the President.

The former prosecutor general stated that he learned of the plan in September. He said two military personnel from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine's Artan unit were detained in Austria. Kravchenko identified the unit's commander, Viktor Torkotiuk, as being present during the detentions. He claimed Torkotiuk was promised a promotion for his role in the operation.

Kravchenko drew a connection to an incident in Monaco earlier this summer. In June, an explosion injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a sanctioned Ukrainian businessman, and two others. Yermolaiev accused DIU personnel of involvement. Kravchenko noted that prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General are handling the Monaco case. He said he has information regarding the circumstances of both events.

The ex-prosecutor also pointed to the detention of two journalists from the outlet Ukrainska Pravda in Vienna. Mykhailo Tkach and Yaroslav Bondarenko were arrested on October 8 while working on a story to locate Kravchenko. Austrian authorities initially suspected Tkach of espionage, a charge they later did not substantiate. Kravchenko claimed Austrian investigators are looking into four people, including the two reporters. He noted that Tkach had been in Monaco just before the explosion and was in Vienna during the detention of the military personnel.

Kravchenko left Ukraine on the night of September 13. His official orders listed a five-day trip to Paris for Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe hearings on Ukrainian children. His name did not appear on the participant list for that discussion. His authorized travel ended on September 18. Mariana Haiovska, spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor General, confirmed that Kravchenko had not returned to work by September 21. He has not provided a public reason for staying abroad.