Austria releases Ukrainian journalist Mykhailo Tkach

Austrian authorities have released Ukrainian investigative journalist Mykhailo Tkach following his detention in Vienna. Tkach, who leads the investigative journalism department at Ukrainian Truth, was in the Austrian capital conducting an assignment related to the search for fugitive former Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.

The status of Tkach’s camera operator, Yaroslav Bondarenko, remained unclear at the time of the release announcement. While Tkach has been freed, the Vienna prosecution continues to conduct an investigation involving Tkach and Bondarenko.

The detention has drawn criticism from the Association of European Journalists, which called for an urgent and independent investigation into the use of force against the journalists and the circumstances of their arrest. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed that diplomats have been working with Austrian counterparts to resolve the situation and establish the exact reasons for the detention.