Separatists Abduct CNN Crew Member in Eastern Ukraine

A “fixer” working with CNN in eastern Ukraine was abducted by Russian-backed Ukrainian separatists and remains in captivity despite two days of efforts to secure his release.

Anton Skiba was taken by separatists outside a hotel in Donetsk, the center of fighting between Kiev and the pro-Moscow rebels. CNN said it did not reveal Skiba’s capture while it attempted to secure his release from the separatists’ self-proclaimed Prime Minister Alexander Borodai, but is going public after those efforts were frustrated.

Skiba had been working with a CNN crew reporting on the downing of flight MH17, and was seized when the crew returned from the crash site to their hotel. According to other CNN employees present, the group of separatists were led by a local official, deputy prime minister in charge of industry Alexandr Kalyussky, who accused Skiba of putting out bounties for separatists on his Facebook page. When CNN cameraman Jeff Kehl tried to film the arrest, Kalyussky seized his cell phone, returning it only after demanding that Kehl erase the video.

Officials for the separatists have since claimed Skiba had admitted under interrogation that he was a “Ukrainian agent.”

Skiba has communicated with CNN once since his capture, telling the network he would “not be available” before being cut off; CNN said it was unclear if the call had been made “under duress.”

Watch a clip about the abduction below, via CNN:

[h/t CNN]

[Image via screengrab]

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