US Aware American Detained In Ukraine For Ordering Minister To Be Murdered - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th November, 2021) The United States is aware of reports that a US citizen has been detained in Ukraine for ordering the killing of a Ukrainian minister, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik.

"We are aware of reports of the detention of a US citizen in Ukraine. We take seriously our responsibility to assist US citizens abroad, and are monitoring the situation. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment," the spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry announced that several Ukrainians and a US national were arrested on suspicion of giving an order to kill Agrarian Policy and food Minister Roman Leshchenko, adding that it informed the US embassy about the incident.

Ukrainian media said the US citizen is believed to be the main suspect. Together with a Ukrainian woman, he ordered undercover police agents posing as would-be killers to have the 32-year-old minister beaten up and killed.

Leshchenko told reporters that he and his family had been routinely threatened since he was appointed to a government position in 2020 but he denied that the threats were related to his cabinet job.

Ukraine's National Police chief Ihor Klimenko said the suspects, including the US citizen, faced life in prison on charges of kidnapping, extortion, causing grievous bodily harm and attempted murder.