Catch Carlos If You Can
Shortly after a Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over territory controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in July 2014, killing all 298 people on board, a person purporting to be a Spanish air-traffic controller in Kyiv launched one of the most notorious Moscow-friendly hoaxes of the Ukraine conflict.
Identifying himself as "Carlos," he claimed on Twitter that Kyiv shot down the civilian airliner and was attempting to cover it up.
While the claims were quickly -- and correctly -- dismissed as a hoax, mystery swirled around Carlos's true identity for years following the tragedy. But in a new investigation, we have confirmed he's a Spanish ex-convict who was detained on suspicion of fraud in Romania just six months before the Ukraine conflict erupted.
Read the special report by Carl Schreck and Ana Poenariu here.
That concludes our live-blogging of the Ukraine crisis for Tuesday, March 13, 2018. Check back here tomorrow for more of our continuing coverage. Thanks for reading and take care.
Here's an update from out news desk:
Imprisoned Ukrainian Filmmaker Sentsov 'Ready To Ask For Clemency' From Putin
Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, who opposed Moscow's seizure of Crimea and is now in prison in Russia, is "ready to ask for clemency" in order to be exchanged for Russian nationals held in Ukraine, his lawyer says.
Dmitry Dinze told RFE/RL on March 12 that writing to Russian President Vladimir Putin to ask for a pardon "is the only way to make sure that he will be exchanged" for Russians or Russia-backed separatists held by Kyiv.
"You either write [to Putin] and go, or remain behind bars," Dinze said, adding that it is a condition that must be met to qualify as part of an exchange of captives.
Sentsov, a native of Crimea who opposed Russia's seizure and annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014, is serving a 20-year prison term after being convicted on terrorism charges that he and human rights groups contend are politically motivated.
Sentsov was arrested in May 2014 on suspicion of planning fire-bombings of pro-Russian organizations in Crimea. A Russian court convicted him on multiple terrorism charges in August 2014.
Sentsov has denied all charges against him, saying that a "trial by occupiers cannot be fair by definition."
The prominent Russian human rights group Memorial has recognized Sentsov as a political prisoner, and international rights organizations have called for his release.