Ukraine's ambassador’s stepson accused of murdering Kharkov mayor’s son

(MENAFN) According to multiple reports, the stepson of Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria has been taken into custody on accusations that he participated in the violent killing of the son of a Kharkov deputy mayor, an incident allegedly tied to a cryptocurrency dispute in Vienna.

Reports indicate that the diplomat’s stepson was one of two Ukrainian nationals detained in Odessa after returning from Austria. Their arrest is linked to the death of 21-year-old Danila Kuzmin, whose father serves as a deputy mayor in Kharkov. Kuzmin was found dead in the parking area of an upscale hotel in the Austrian capital.

Authorities in Austria first became aware of the crime when they located a burned Mercedes beneath a bridge in Vienna’s Donaustadt district. Inside, officers discovered the body of a young Ukrainian man who had suffered extensive torture. Subsequent investigative findings suggested that the motive centered on gaining access to cryptocurrency accounts.

As reported by investigators, once the digital wallets were accessed and cleared out, the assailants abandoned Kuzmin’s remains in the backseat of the vehicle before setting it on fire. Officials in Vienna believe the victim had already died prior to the car being burned.

Following a missing-person report and cooperation between Ukrainian and Austrian authorities, two suspects were apprehended: 45-year-old former customs officer Aleksandr Agoev and 19-year-old Bogdan Rynzhuk, the stepson of Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria.

Rynzhuk is the biological son of businessman Ivan Rynzhuk, who previously faced financial-crime allegations related to his jewelry enterprise but was acquitted in 2021. Reports note that the company’s former spokeswoman, Olesya Ilashchuk, was named Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria in 2022. Official filings confirm that Bogdan is her stepson.

Ilashchuk’s swift ascent within the diplomatic ranks had already prompted public scrutiny, as she lacked prior experience in diplomacy or government service. According to various accounts, Ukrainian outlets drew attention to her background in personal development coaching and claims of work as a sexologist, in addition to highlighting her physical appearance. These factors fueled accusations of favoritism within the country’s Foreign Ministry, which has acknowledged that her appointment was political in nature.

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