Ivan Rybkin - Found

The program is maintained by Andrei Shari. Radio Liberty correspondents Maxim Yaroshevsky and Vladimir Ivakhnenko participate.

Andrei Shary: An Ivan Rybkin, candidate for Russian presidentials, who was considered to be disappeared, was found - he was in Kiev. This was the first to announce this by the head of the campaign headquarters of Rybkin Ksenia Ponomareva. Our colleagues from the Echo of Moskvy radio station managed to get through to Ivan Rybkin in Kyiv:

Ivan Rybkin: I did not disappear anywhere. I was amazed today, opened newspapers, decided not to listen to either radio or television for three or four days, went with friends in Kyiv, got on a train, and suddenly I open newspapers today, they later come, and suddenly such a thing, bought a newspaper, is called.

Andrei Shary: So far, contradictory information is acting about what Rybkin did in Kiev. In the evening, on Tuesday, his return to Moscow is scheduled, he arrives at Domodedovo from Kyiv. The head of the Central Election Commission, Alexander Veshnyakov, announced at a meeting of the CEC on Tuesday evening that presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin was found, he congratulated everyone in this connection. “Congratulations to everyone,” said Veshnyakov, “now there are all presidential candidates.” Earlier, the head of the CEC informed reporters that he had his own version of Rybkin’s disappearance, but he preferred not to advertise it. It is not criminal - the head of the central election commission said. Ksenia Ponomareva, the head of the election headquarters of Rybkin, said that her resigned her - she may not manage further the headquarters of the presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin. Now on the telephone from Kyiv, our correspondent Vladimir Ivakhnenko. Vladimir, as far as I know, you are at Borispol Airport, is it known about the flight of Ivan Rybkin from Ukraine?

Vladimir Ivakhnenko: I just returned from Borispol, unfortunately, Rybkin, judging by this information, did not fly out of this airport. As I was informed, he had to fly away about eight hours Moscow time by the aircraft of the Russian company Transaero. However, three hours before the aircraft departure, tickets in the name of Rybkin were handed over to the cash register. Rybkin did not fly away, and on the last plane of the Ukrainian company Aerosvit, he was also not there. Therefore, if he arrives in the Russian capital, then perhaps not under his surname.

Andrei Shary: Vladimir, how did events develop, how did it become known that Ivan Rybkin is in Kiev?

Vladimir Ivakhnenko: The very information that Rybkin is in Kiev appeared in the afternoon with reference to the unnamed deputy of the Verkhovna Rada from the opposition. This deputy said that Rybkin arrived in Kyiv from London and met with representatives of the Ukrainian opposition. The last two days, Rybkin lived in the Kyiv hotel "Ukraine", however, he was not registered under his name, these were the words of an unnamed deputy, and about 4 hours after the receipt of this information, Rybkin called his election headquarters in Moscow. The leaders of all Ukrainian opposition parties said that none of them met with Rybkin, and that, probably, as they say, this whole story is a well -thought -out PR camp of the presidential candidate.

Andrei Shary: Boris Berezovsky on Tuesday evening said that he had a conversation with Ivan Rybkin, who told Berezovsky that he was tired, was in Kiev, and his voice was absolutely normal. This is a quote from the Association of Interfax. The wife of Ivan Rybkin Albina, who learned about the appearance of her husband from Interfax, also had already talked with him on the phone. He informed the Interfax agency about this, however, she noticed that she would not go to meet Ivan Rybkin at the airport. In general, in this story there is still a lot of incomprehensible. Radio Liberty correspondent Maxim Yaroshevsky is now going to Domodedovo Airport.

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Maxim, what do you know by this minute (about nine o’clock in the evening of Moscow time)?

Maxim Yaroshevsky: The following is known: the plane really arrives from Kiev under the number of 202 Transaero airlines, it should land at 21 hours 25 minutes Moscow time. I could not find out if there is Ivan Rybkin on board. I went to the Persaero rack and they told me that a request is required through the company's police or security service, otherwise such an answer cannot be obtained. In Moscow today, the weather is not perfect for flights. Many flights are delayed. Now it is written that this flight is also delayed, without an indication of time. And also an interesting fact: there is not a single journalist.

Andrei Sharry: You can guess about the reasons for the disappearance of Ivan Rybkin for an endlessly long time, and this is quite hopeless. The information is too controversial. Let's wait tomorrow. And at the end of the topic - Vladimir Ivakhnenko in Kyiv collected all the information about the possible location of Rybkin in Kyiv.

Vladimir Ivakhnenko: A few hours before the departure of the aircraft of the Russian Airline Transaero from Kiev to Moscow, a ticket in the name of Rybkin was handed over to one of the cash desks. It was this flight that he had to fly to Domodedovo. As it turned out, there was no passenger named Rybkin even in the lists of the last evening flight to Moscow of the Ukrainian airline Aerosvit. Ivan Rybkin unexpectedly showed up today in Kyiv, calling his election headquarters. He explained his appearance in the Ukrainian capital with the desire to relax and chat with friends. The emergence of a presidential candidate was preceded by a message in the information agencies of the anonymous deputy of the Verkhovna Rada. According to him, Rybkin lived in the Ukraine hotel and met in recent days with political opponents of President Leonid Kuchma. However, the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition have already stated that none of them and Ivan Rybkin were met.

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  Andrey Shary

  I.O. Regional Director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for Russian -Sound Content

  Andrey Shary on Facebook

  Sharya@rferl.org