Heartwarming video has captured the moment the co-workers of Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko discovered he had faked his own death.
Mr Babchenko revealed the deception in a dramatic fashion, appearing alive and well at a press conference called to discuss his murder.
Emotions were running high at Mr Babchenko's former place of work, where the reaction was caught on video and shared online by Radio Free Europe.
The New York Post reports it was taken inside the headquarters of Ukranian TV network ATR.
As Mr Babchenko appears at the press conference his co-workers began gasping and dissolved into tears and screaming.
Appearing emotional at times, Mr Babchenko apologised to all those he hurt - but said the lie was a necessary part of a Ukrainian operation to stop an attempt on his life by the Russian government.
"I would like to apologise for what you have all had to go through," Mr Babchenko, who looked on the verge of tears at times, told reporters.
"I'm sorry, but there was no other way of doing it. Separately, I want to apologise to my wife for the hell that she has been through."
A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry said it was good Mr Babchenko was alive, but dismissed claims of a murder plot as false.
Mr Babchenko has lived in the Ukraine capital of Kiev for several years after he received death threats in his home country for saying he did not care about the victims of a Russian military plane crash.
Newshub.