The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has called for the immediate release of Nadezhda Savchenko, a Ukrainian helicopter pilot currently being held in a Russian detention facility on suspicion of having abetted the killings of two Russian journalists.
Savchenko was captured by separatists in Luhansk in June. She is now being held in the southern Russian city of Voronezh.
Ukrainian officials maintain that she was illegally trafficked across the border by Russian intelligence officers, while Russia maintains that she crossed the border voluntarily under the guise of a refugee.
Russian Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Wednesday that Savchenko was believed to have provided crucial information that led to the deaths of journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin of Russian public broadcaster VGTRK, who were killed by shelling in Luhansk on June 17.
Citing court orders, Markin said that Savchenko would remain behind bars until the end of August as an investigation runs its course.
The U.S. Embassy condemned Savchenko's "kidnapping by separatists, her illegal transfer to Russian authorities and her prolonged detention," U.S. Embassy Press Secretary Joseph Kruzich told Kommersant on Wednesday.
The embassy's condemnation echoed that of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's, which described Savchenko's transfer to Russia as "illegal trafficking" in a statement.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko likewise referred to the incident as a "kidnapping" and ordered Prosecutor General Vitaly Yarema to investigate the circumstances of the case, according to a statement on Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council's website said.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
