Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko appears alive and well on TV after ‘staged murder’

A RUSSIAN journalist who was reported to have been assassinated has re-emerged alive and well.

Arkady Babchenko was thought to have been shot dead in Kiev on Tuesday, but appeared in a TV press conference in the Ukraine on Wednesday afternoon.

Vasyl Hrytsak, the head of the country’s security services, claimed that Mr Babchenko’s ‘murder’ had been staged in an operation to expose Russian agents.

The 41-year-old, an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin, was claimed to have been shot multiple times in the back before being found critically injured by his wife.

Mr Babchenko thanked everyone for their kind words after his ‘death’ and also apologised to his wife, who was not aware of the plan.

Earlier today, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson had tweeted: “Appalled to see another vocal Russian journalist, Arkady Babchenko, murdered.

“My thoughts are with his wife and young daughter. We must defend freedom of speech and it is vital that those responsible are now held to account.”