Vyshinsky Should Be Swapped for Film Director Sentsov - Ukraine Security Service

UTRECHT (Sputnik) - Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Vasily Gritsak said Thursday that RIA Novosti Ukraine head Kirill Vyshinsky arrested in Ukraine should be exchanged for Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who is currently jailed in Russia.

"I believe that it is necessary to swap," Gritsak told Sputnik when asked about the possibility of such an exchange.

Earlier this week, press secretary of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Mariana Betsa, said that Kiev was considering all possible options for the release of Sentsov from Russia's prison, including his exchange for Vyshinsky.

READ MORE: Sputnik, RIA Novosti Ukraine Blocked in Ukraine According to New Sanctions List

Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15 on suspicion of supporting the self-proclaimed people’s republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR), and treason. Earlier on Thursday, a Kherson court ruled to place Vyshinsky in pre-trial custody for 60 days without bail.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has characterized Kiev's actions against RIA Novosti Ukraine as an outrage. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in turn, has stated that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities with respect to RIA Novosti Ukraine are unacceptable, while the Russian embassy has delivered two protest notes to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demanding that the aggression against media workers be stopped.

Ukrainian filmmaker Sentsov was convicted by a Russian court in August 2015 for plotting terrorist attacks in Crimea. Sentsov was sentenced to 20 years in prison.