Arkady Babchenko: Suspect remanded in reporter's hoax death case Published duration 1 June 2018

media caption Arkady Babchenko said he played dead until he was taken to a morgue

A Ukrainian court has remanded a businessman in custody on suspicion of plotting the murder of a Russian dissident journalist.

Borys Herman is alleged to have paid $15,000 (£11,300) to a man for killing Arkady Babchenko in Kiev.

He said he had had no intention of killing the reporter and had co-operated with the SBU security service.

The SBU faked Babchenko's death on Tuesday, saying this helped to foil a Russian assassination plot.

image copyright 5 Kanal TV image caption This faked picture of a supposedly wounded Babchenko was released by police to the media

Pig's blood and a make-up artist were used to pull off the stunt, the journalist revealed on Thursday.

Babchenko said earlier that Mr Herman, who works for a Ukrainian-German weapons company, had paid out for the assassination once the news of the "killing" had been made public.

image copyright Reuters image caption Borys Herman says he collaborated with Ukraine's security service during its sting operation

The unidentified hired hitman had also been part of the elaborate sting operation, the SBU said.

Mr Herman was remanded in custody for two months.

media caption Back from the dead?

Moscow has described Ukraine's sting operation as an act of provocation.