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Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, widely reported to have been assassinated in Kiev on Tuesday, has turned up alive at a press conference, BBC reported.

In an extraordinary development, the high-profile critic of the Kremlin appeared live on Ukrainian TV. The head of Ukraine's security services told reporters the "murder" had been staged after Ukraine learned of a Russian plot to kill the journalist.

Vasyl Hrytsak said the hit was "ordered by Russian security services".

There were gasps and applause as Mr Babchenko entered the room for the press conference on Wednesday. He thanked the Ukrainian security services for saving his life.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement it was happy that Mr Babchenko was alive. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the staged murder was done for "propagandistic effect", Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

"Special apologies to my wife," he said at the press conference. It was unclear whether she had been informed of the plot.

The journalist was reportedly found by his wife bleeding at the entrance to his block of flats, shot several times in the back, and died in an ambulance. It was not immediately clear how exactly the murder was staged.

Police said that they had made one arrest in connection with the extraordinary operation.