MOSCOW, December 11 (RAPSI) – Investigators have lodged a motion seeking for arrest in absentia of a serviceman of the National Guard of Ukraine Vitaly Markiv, who stands charged with killing two journalists in Donbass in 2014, RAPSI has learnt from the press office of Moscow’s Basmanny District Court.

Markiv has been put on the international wanted list.

A criminal case over the murder of Italian photojournalist Andrea Rocchelli and reporter of the Novaya Gazeta newspaper Andrey Mironov was investigated by investigative bodies of Italy, Ukraine and Russia. The journalists were killed in a mortar fire allegedly conducted by the anti-terrorist operation’s soldiers on a tip-off by the serviceman. 

Markiv was arrested in Italy in 2017. He had the Italian citizenship and reportedly communicated with Italy’s journalists on the Ukrainian part during the military conflict. A court in Italy sentenced the man to 24 years behind bars. However, on November 3, an appeals instance overturned the ruling and acquitted the defendant.