The National Police of Ukraine received information about possible person who ordered the hit of journalist Pavlo Sheremet, including documents and audio recordings made no later than 2012.

"The documents and audio recordings, the last of which are dated 2012, have already delivered at the disposal of the investigation and are of interest from the point of view of identifying those who ordered the crime," the National Police said in a statement on its website on Monday.

According to the department, in December 2020, the investigation with the help of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine received certain information that is relevant in the investigation into the murder of Sheremet, committed in 2016. "Fragments of information that are at the disposal of the National Police investigation have been released on the Internet. Unidentified persons are discussing the murder of journalist Pavlo Sheremet in the published records. In particular, the option of poisoning with the use of toxic substances, as well as detonation, is noted," the department said in the statement.

In addition, the investigation of the National Police of Ukraine received permission to conduct investigative actions in one of the European countries, the disposer of the transmitted information was invited to conduct investigative actions, the website of the National Police said. "Currently, the investigation of the National Police of Ukraine has received permission to conduct investigative actions in one of the European countries, in addition, the person in charge of the transmitted information was invited to carry out the necessary investigative actions," the National Police said on its website.

The National Police said that the case against the perpetrators of Sheremet's murder has been brought to court, and for the persons ordering the hit it has been separated into another criminal proceeding, the investigation into which is ongoing. "The National Police appeals to everyone, both Ukrainian citizens and foreigners: who knows any information about the order for the murder of Pavlo Sheremet, please contact the police," the department said.

Earlier on Monday, the Ukrayinska Pravda Internet edition with reference to the published audio recordings and the EUobserver Belgian edition said that the murder of Sheremet was prepared by the special services of Belarus. As follows from the recording of the conversations of head of the State Security Committee of Belarus in 2008-2012 Vadim Zaitsev, transferred to Ukrayinska Pravda by the Belarusian opposition, the secret services of Belarus in 2012, by order of President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, discussed the possibility of detonating Sheremet with explosives, which was carried out four years later.

"The recording contains the words of Zaitsev, recorded by a hidden device on April 11, 2012, during the briefing of officers of the KGB's Alpha Group, an elite counter-terrorist unit, in Zaitsev's office in Minsk. The KGB also discussed killing Pavlo Sheremet, who was living in Russia at the time. The task is to blow it up. And to do it so that this murder becomes a public message," Ukrayinska Pravda said. Ukrayinska Pravda cites Zaitsev's words published in EUobserver: "We have to work on Sheremet, which is a big headache [...] we will plant a bomb [...] the president [Lukashenko] is waiting for these operations."