Shock and relief — fellow journalists, officials and social media users react to the surprise reappearance of Arkady Babchenko, a Russian journalist was reported to have been shot dead
ADVERTISEMENTA Russian journalist who was reported to have been killed in Ukraine has shown up at a news conference in Kyiv.
Arkady Babchenko was said to have been shot multiple times in the back at his apartment building and found bleeding by his wife.
Vasily Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, told the news conference that the agency faked Babchenko’s death to catch those who were trying to kill him.
The journalist said the operation had been planned for two months.
Here's how the internet reacted to his reappearance:
Fellow journalists
Many of Babchenko's contemporaries expressed relief that he was still alive.
Tweet reads: What is now happening live on the occasion of Babchenko — it's fantastic! Thank goodness!
Other journalists were stunned at the revelation that he was still alive.
Some revealed further details about the case, like the fact that he alleged his wife didn't know and that he faked a broken leg as part of the operation.
One journalist from Radio Free Europe didn't see what the benefit of faking his death was for Babchenko.
Another praised the Ukrainian-led operation for purportedly finding the killer who received orders to murder of Babchenko — the same reason Ukrainian security services gave for the stunt.
Tweet reads: Arkady Babchenko is alive!
As a result of the brilliant operation conducted by Ukrainian law enforcement officers, the killer who received the order for the murder of Arkady and the organiser of the murder has been detained.
Others speculated about ulterior motives behind the faking of the journalist's death.
Politicians and officials
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was happy Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko had turned out to be alive but said Ukraine had used his story as propaganda.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously described allegations by the Ukrainian government as "the height of cynicism" and called for other countries to push Kyiv to offer better protection for journalists as they were being killed "with impunity".
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's president, tweeted praising the efforts of security services and saying the operation had to take place for the safety of Babchenko and his family as Russia was unlikely to back down.
Tweet reads: Congratulations @servicessu for a brilliant operation that saved the life of the Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are becoming stronger day by day in countering Russian aggression. Moscow is unlikely to calm down — so I ordered protection to be given to Arkady and his family.