Murder of Ukrainian in Vienna: Ambassador Ilashchuk comments on the detention of her son
20 December 2025 02:23
Ambassador of Ukraine to Bulgaria Olesia Ilashchuk has officially confirmed that her son was detained in the framework of criminal proceedings over the murder of a 21-year-old Ukrainian citizen in the Austrian capital, Vienna. At the same time, the diplomat called for the case not to be politicized and to adhere to the principle of presumption of innocence. Ilashchuk said this in a comment to the Ukrinform news agency, in fact, for the first time publicly confirming the fact of the detention, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Ambassador’s position: no politics and no assumptions
According to Olesya Ilashchuk, the assessment of the situation should be based solely on official data from law enforcement agencies and court decisions.
“In connection with the dissemination of information about my family members and in order to avoid further speculation, I would like to note that the assessment of the situation related to the detention of my son should be based solely on official data and court decisions, not on assumptions or emotional comments,” the diplomat emphasized.
What is known about the procedural status of the detainee
According to Ilashchuk, her son is an adult citizen of Ukraine, has full civil capacity and is undergoing all the procedural actions provided for by law within the framework of the legislation of Ukraine and the European Union.
“I would like to emphasize that it is incorrect to link the procedural status of my son with my diplomatic service or to resort to political interpretations of this situation,” the diplomat said.
Ilashchuk also expressed her hope that, given the principles of the rule of law, ethical standards and the constitutionally enshrined presumption of innocence, “the final conclusions of society will be formed solely on the basis of the results of the verification of my son’s involvement in these events.”
The ambassador also called for refraining from spreading false information and respecting her family’s right to privacy.
What is known from the media
Detective-Info, citing its own sources, previously reported that one of the defendants in the case is 19-year-old Bohdan Rynzhuk, the son of Chernivtsi businessman Ivan Rynzhuk.
In Olesya Ilashchuk’ s declarations, Bohdan Rynzhuk is listed as her son, but according to journalists, she may be his stepmother.
At the same time, law enforcement agencies have not released any official information confirming or denying this information.
Details of the high-profile murder in Vienna
On the evening of November 26, a body was found in the backseat of a completely burnt-out Mercedes car in one of Vienna’s districts. The deceased was a 21-year-old citizen of Ukraine.
According to media reports, in particular Suspilne Kharkiv, the deceased could be the son of Serhiy Kuzmin, deputy mayor of Kharkiv , Igor Terekhov.
This information was not officially commented on.
Investigation version
According to law enforcement, the two suspects arranged a meeting with the victim, whom one of them knew personally. The meeting took place on the territory of a hotel in Vienna.
In the underground parking lot, the guy was attacked and forced to transfer about 50 thousand euros from a cryptocurrency wallet. He was then taken to another part of the city, where his body was later found with signs of violent death.
Investigators also reported that the suspects had carefully prepared for the crime in advance The police said that both detainees had carefully prepared for the crime: they had looked for a place and bought gasoline for cash at a gas station in advance. After the murder, according to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, they crossed the state border on November 26 and entered the territory of Ukraine.
