The reasons for this decision are not indicated.
Babchenko repeatedly in his publications sharply criticized the Russian authorities. Having left Russia, the journalist promised to return to Moscow on the American Abrams tank under the NATO flag.
In the summer of 2018, the Ukrainian authorities reported that Babchenko was allegedly shot dead in the stairwell of his house in Kiev. However, the next day, the country's special services said that information about the "murder" was part of a special operation.
In November 2019, the journalist announced that he had left Ukraine. According to him, he began to prepare for departure after the presidential election.