Viktor Medvedchuk said that he is now “forced” to live in Moscow

Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was transferred to Russia in September 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange, said in an interview with Channel One that he now lives in Moscow.

"I used to come to Moscow for various reasons, I would come for one day, arrive in the morning, leave in the evening. But now I live in Moscow permanently, by force. I did not leave Ukraine, I was exchanged," Medvedchuk said.

More about Medvedchuk

Before the war, Viktor Medvedchuk was the most famous pro-Russian politician in Ukraine and headed the political council of the Opposition Platform - For Life party. Medvedchuk was called "Putin's godfather": he said that the Russian president was the godfather of his daughter.

In 2021, the Ukrainian authorities accused the politician of treason and placed him under house arrest. After the war began, he escaped from custody. He was detained in April and handed over to Russia in September as part of a prisoner exchange.

After the war began, the OPZZh party announced its closure, and the court banned its activities in Ukraine. In January 2023, Medvedchuk was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.

In an interview, the politician spoke about his arrest in Ukraine in 2021 on charges of treason. He called that day "the hardest in his life" and described his persecution as "a terrible grief for [his] family." At the same time, Medvedchuk noted that Ukrainian investigators did not use physical violence against him, although psychological "pressure was constantly exerted."

Medvedchuk also told Channel One that he had seen his youngest daughter Daria the day before. Earlier, Meduza, together with the University Transparency Laboratory , found out that Medvedchuk's daughter has been living in Moscow since at least 2021 and is studying at the Higher School of Economics. Her mother and the politician's third wife, Oksana Marchenko, probably also lives with her.

Meduza in Russia is now not only a "foreign agent", but also an "undesirable" organization. This status is much worse than before. Nevertheless, we continue to work. You can still read us. It is safe. Here are all the answers to the alarming questions.