Russian journalist Alexander Kosvintsev has been told that he is to receive refugee status.

The journalist was informed of the decision in Lviv. “The question of whether to grant refugee status has been decided in my favour. I heard all that I was supposed to be told on 25 February today. At present the process is underway of formalizing the refugee status. I have handed in my Russian passport, and have been given papers to say that refugee status is being organized”, Alexander Kosvintsev informed reporters on 22 February. As already reported, Kosvintsev, regional correspondent for the newspaper “Novaya gazeta”* in the Kemerovsk region (Russian Federation) asked for political asylum in Ukraine on 6 February.