Ukrainian oligarch Firtash arrested in Vienna

According to Reuters, Austrian government sources said today that the Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash was arrested in Vienna this week, at the request of U.S. authorities.

Firtash is a 48 years old is one of Ukraine's richest men. He has close links to Russia and involvement in the gas, chemicals, media and banking sectors. All his activity gave him substantial influence.

The Federal Criminal Office had identified the man taken into custody. He had been under investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2006.

"Based on years of investigations by the US FBI and an arrest warrant issued by a US federal district court, Vienna prosecutors issued a national order to detain the businessman", said the FCA in a public statement.

The arrest was made based on the suspected violation of bribery laws and forming a criminal organisation.

Firtash is one of the top ten richest men in Ukraine and is tipped to be worth around 1 billion $ (599 m £, 717 m €) and is the co-owner of RosUkrEnergo, which controls most of Ukraine's lucrative titanium business.

US Ambassador  to Ukraine William Taylor quoted Firtash in the cable saying that "he needed, and received, permission from Mogilevich when he established various businesses, but he denied any close relationship to him".

Firtash then denied any links in an official statement later on.