© Serhill Nuzhnenko / RadioSvoboda.org (RFE/RL)
Vasyl Hrytsak (left), head of the security service of Ukraine, journalist Arkady Babchenko (center), and Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko.
Ukrainian authorities claim they have uncovered a hit-list of 47 people --
mostly journalists -- who are
potential Russian assassination targets as a result of their sting operation staging the faked murder of exiled Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko.
Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko wrote on Facebook on June 1 that the controversial operation, which involved top officials lying to the media and public about Babchenko's death, had helped security services uncover a list of 47 mainly Ukrainian and Russian-emigre journalists who he said "
could be the next victims of terrorists."
The number of people Lutsenko claimed the Russian secret service is targeting is significantly higher than the 30 people Ukrainian authorities earlier had said were likely assassination targets.
Lutsenko said
all 47 have been informed they are on the alleged hit-list, and arrangements are being made for their safety.
Russia did not immediately respond to Ukraine's claims.
Kyiv-based journalist Matvei Ganapolsky, who works for Ekho Moskvy radio, told the station that he and another prominent journalist Yevgeny Kiselev had both been summoned by the Ukrainian security service and warned of potential risk to their safety.
Ganapolsky said he was also shown additional materials on the Babchenko attack that showed "this is all serious and a real attack was in fact being prepared. They were planning to kill him."
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