Babitsky's kidnapping by the Russian forces in January–February 2000 during the Second Chechen War attracted attention of international journalists' organisations.

As Babitsky's family, friends and colleagues voiced fears for his life and the scandal unfolded, after a personal inquiry by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who was visiting Moscow, Russian Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov on 2 February pledged to bring Babitsky to Moscow and release him.

"[10] On 10 March 2000, the newspaper Kommersant published an interview with Putin, where he accused Babitsky of treason and collaboration with Chechen warlords and commented: Here you say that he is a Russian citizen.

[3] On 2 September 2004, Babitsky was detained by Russian Special Services at Vnukovo airport whilst attempting to get to North Ossetia to report on the school hostage crisis.

[11] Babitsky was living in Prague, Czech Republic where RFE/RL headquarters were located when in 2014 he fell out with Radio Liberty over his advocating the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.

[12] Speaking on the war in eastern Ukraine, Babitsky said that: At that time I felt for the Chechens, because I thought that if these people want to live by their own traditions and move away from Russia then they should be able to.