Kremlin on Possibility to Exchange Journalist Vyshinsky: No Initiatives So Far

"Well, as far as I know, there have been no initiatives on this account. We have not received any information, but in any case, such issues are certainly not discussed publicly," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov has also commented on the joint statement of over 130 cultural figures calling for Sentsov's release that was issued on Monday.

"It will be taken into account just like the requests that have been received so far. You know that… [Russian] President [Vladimir Putin] has been asked relevant questions on numerous occasions and he answered those questions, actually, we are talking about a prisoner and the president has expressed his position, that is why I have nothing to add," Peskov indicated.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said earlier that Ukraine is ready to consider all options to have Ukrainian film director and public activist Oleg Sentsov released from a Russian prison, including his exchange for Vyshinsky.

No Violence Used Against RIA Novosti Journalist Vyshinsky During Arrest – Wife

18 May 2018, 08:48 GMT

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. Putin has stressed on numerous occasions that filmmaker Sentsov has been convicted of terrorist activities, which has no relation to his work, and argued that Sentsov cannot be released just because he was a film director.

Vyshinsky was detained in Kiev on May 15. He is suspected of supporting the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) and high treason. On Thursday, the Kherson City Court decided to place Vyshinsky in pre-trial detention for 60 days without bail.

Kiev Should Clarify Evidence Behind Accusations Against Vyshinsky – HRW

16 May 2018, 13:50 GMT

A representative of the office of the Council of Europe (CoE) commissioner for human rights confirmed to Sputnik on Tuesday receiving an appeal from the Russian Presidential Human Rights Council over the detention of journalist Kirill Vyshinsky in Ukraine, which had been filed the day before.

The Russian Foreign Ministry classified Kiev's actions against RIA Novosti Ukraine as an "outrage." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities with respect to RIA Novosti Ukraine journalists were unacceptable, while the Russian embassy has delivered two protest notes to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demanding to stop violence against media workers.

Russia's International News Agency Rossiya Segodnya has launched a Twitter hashtag #TruthNotTreason in support of RIA Novosti Ukraine news portal head Kirill Vyshinsky, arrested in Ukraine.