In Kyiv, militarized bandits were dividing spheres of influence: it all ended in murder

In Kyiv, militarized bandits were dividing spheres of influence: it all ended in murder

The deceased Oleksandr Kanazirskyi was a member of a group from Pivdenne, and the killer Dmytro Rashevskyi had connections with the organized crime group "Bald".

Law enforcement agencies have charged Dmytro Rashevskyi, nicknamed Rashyk, who shot his opponent Oleksandr Kanazirskyi, a municipal guard employee from Pivdenne in Odesa region, during a brawl. The incident took place at the Sky Loft hotel in the Pecherskyi district of Kyiv, reports [loud cases] citing OBOZ.UA.

"Under the procedural guidance of the Pechersk District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv, two participants in the brawl at the hotel in the Pecherskyi district of the capital have been charged. A 29-year-old resident of Dnipro is suspected of hooliganism committed by a group of individuals. A 30-year-old resident of Vasylkiv is charged with intentional murder, as well as hooliganism committed by a group of individuals using firearms," the publication quotes the police press release.

The publication «Dilova Odesa» suggests that the reason for the brawl, which led to the fatal shooting, was a conflict over so-called "offices" (referring to fraudulent call centers). Allegedly, according to some data, control over these "offices" in Pivdenne became a subject of disagreements between different groups. Representatives of the municipal guard from Odesa region were likely trying to take these "offices" under their protection, which provoked the conflict.

According to the internet publication Detective-info, Rashyk had repeatedly fallen into the spotlight of the media and law enforcement. It is known that in his youth, this graduate of the Zaporizhzhya Thai boxing club "Cross" had repeatedly stood on the podiums of continental and world tournaments: in 2010, he won "gold" at the European Championship in Italy, and the following year - he won the European Cup and became a silver medalist at the world championship.

Dmytro Rashevskyi

However, Dmytro Rashevskyi was unable to fully consolidate these successes at the adult level. Instead, he befriended representatives of the surrounding criminal world of Zaporizhzhya, in particular, a member of the well-known "Bald Band" in the region, Oleksandr Mokrousov (Usov), nicknamed Malyok.

Oleksandr Mokrousov

According to the investigation, in March 2018, Malyok and a group of accomplices, among whom was Dmytro Rashevskyi, organized the kidnapping of a resident of Zaporizhzhya, from whom they demanded UAH 200,000 under the threat of using weapons, and besides that, "took" her car and phone. The examination of this criminal case is still ongoing in court.

In the summer of 2019, Rashyk "appeared" in another criminal story. At that time, a number of businessmen from the resort village of Kyrylivka in the Melitopol district publicly appealed to law enforcement with complaints of extortion by representatives of certain "public controllers," who allegedly acted under Rashevskyi’s leadership. However, this scandal was later dismissed, and it did not have criminal consequences for this gentleman.

A source familiar with certain details of Rashyk’s biography indicated that Dmytro Rashevskyi’s apparent impunity during that period could be related to his "mutually beneficial cooperation" with people in uniform.

"To put it bluntly, at that time it was a group that grew under the wing and close protection of the SSU (Security Service of Ukraine). The main focus of its activity was the "taking down" and putting various types of drug dealers, traders, etc. on the "count," the source noted.

The publication also points out that at the time Dmytro Rashevskyi fired shots in the capital’s Sky Loft, he was a serviceman of one of the military units associated with protection from the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence.

The publication «Informator» notes that influential forces have already begun to stand up for Dmytro Rashevskyi. In particular, military personnel, who identify themselves as his "comrades-in-arms," recorded a video asking not to speculate on the events and claim that Rashevskyi has even been awarded multiple times as a participant in combat actions.

Some media directly state that the ex-athlete was attacked in the hotel, allegedly because he tried to stop the operation of the establishment during curfew. It should be noted that this method of "informational hero creation" is a clear attempt to influence public opinion - in other words, to "clear" Dmytro Rashevskyi of responsibility.

A video recording with the "comrades-in-arms" of the suspect, people dressed in military uniforms with weapons in hand, but without any insignia or indications of the unit, appeared in the information space on the evening of Monday, November 25. It was shared through media figure Oleksiy Hvozdyev, whose profile indicates that he worked as the deputy editor-in-chief of one of the well-known information portals in Kyiv and Ukraine. Thus, the target audience of the video was clearly other media, and through them - a broader audience.

"Not long ago, an unfortunate incident occurred, our comrade was attacked in the Sky Loft hotel. The whole internet is buzzing now, with twisted facts - supposedly Dmytro Rashevskyi shot people. I ask you not to make such judgments, as this was forced self-defense since he was attacked. All these people have been identified, and they are also being held criminally responsible, and the investigation will show who is right and who is not. No one has the right to write and smear our comrade with dirt," says one of the men dressed in military uniform on camera.

«Informator» states that this video is just part of an informational campaign to defend Rashevskyi. Thus, some media have already picked up the message, stating directly that Dmytro Rashevskyi is allegedly "a victim of a criminal group." This, in particular, is "Aspi news" - a small media outlet that positions itself as an "information agency." It has begun to openly defend Rashyk.

According to Aspi news, Dmytro Rashevskyi came to Kyiv on vacation and stayed overnight at the hotel, where he allegedly "discovered the illegal operation of an alcohol bar" during the night and "a well-known organized criminal group" near him. As a true knight, Rashevskyi couldn’t just walk past such a gross violation of public order and, with his visor open, rushed to defend legality in the elite hotel in Pechersk.

"After Dmytro’s remarks regarding compliance with the Law of Ukraine, armed criminals initiated a scuffle, after which they inflicted serious bodily harm to the military. In order to protect his own life, Dmytro made a warning shot into the air, but even after such a gesture, the criminals did not stop, after which the military was forced to shoot for effect to not die from the brutal beating and threats from the criminals with weapons," the publication writes without referencing anyone, presenting the information as its own.

Moreover, Aspi news effectively presents an ultimatum to other participants in the clash at the hotel’s restaurant on behalf of unnamed "military personnel": either they voluntarily appear to law enforcement "if they want to preserve their life and health," or information about each participant in the attack on the military "will be published later." As evidence that they indeed have information, the media provides some photos of the participants in the conflict, and even a picture of a badge, presumably one of the figures, marked "YME MG" (it stands for "Yuzhne Municipal Enterprise "Municipal Guard").

However, the injured party is indeed not just ordinary citizens.

As «Informator» writes, the names, details about the type of injuries, and even official IDs of the injured and deceased during the clash at Sky Loft were posted online by the Odesa activist and public figure Demyan Hanul. According to him, it concerns full-time employees of the Pivdenne (Yuzhne) City Council. It is there that one of the largest ports in Ukraine is located, involved in grain export since August 2022 (this is important).

Oleksandr Kanazirskyi

Thus, during the conflict, Oleksandr Kanazirskyi was killed, who, according to Hanul, was a full-time employee of the Yuzhne City Council, and allegedly "voluntarily assisted the local municipal guard" ("but he was officially approved at a city council session and issued an ID," Hanul adds). Oleksandr Kanazirskyi received a gunshot wound to the chest, which led to his death: he died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

In this photo, three participants in the armed clash at the Kyiv hotel are present

The second injured person, according to Hanul, is Heorhiy Arabadzhy. He received a gunshot wound to the left side of the chest. What Arabadzhy was doing in Kyiv is a mystery: literally the day before, on November 22, a person with the same surname from Bolhrad in Odesa region became the director of LLC "Agrocenter-Plus" (logistics and wholesale trade in food products). He is also registered with LLC "Raps" (growing cereals, Izmail) and LLC "Lint" (logistics, oil production, Izmail - activity is terminated).

The company "Agrocenter-Plus," whose happy director became Arabadzhy, was actively engaged in purchasing agricultural land: this is known from the claim to the Regional Auction Center in Poltava region - entrepreneurs were denied the right to participate in land auctions.

Also present in the hotel’s restaurant was the head of the ME "Municipal Guard" of the city of Pivdenne, Ivan Suryev. He is the director of several companies in Odesa: "Security Technology" and "Security Service "Special Unit." Furthermore, judging by the card on the website of the logistics company "Ukrtrain," which is currently engaged in highly profitable railway and maritime transportation (including grain), he works as the head of its security service, where he "came from the law enforcement structures."

Despite Mr. Arabadzhy’s successes, the attention is drawn precisely to the person of Ivan Suriev. No mentions of his past in the systems of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or other law enforcement structures could be found. However, besides security-related firms, he is also the director of LLC "Transgrouplogistics" - a quite powerful company that conducts trading activities, engages in logistics (freight transport), and could even conduct investigations. Actually, the main type of activity listed for it is "activity of private security services."

Interestingly, it is associated with the "best people of Odesa": for instance, judging by the declaration, a salary in it was received by Artem Sydorenko, who in 2021 was appointed to manage the city’s transportation by the mayor of Odesa Hennadiy Trukhanov. Nevertheless, the main activity for Suryev is the activities of Ukrtrain - this is one of the main grain carriers in semi-wagons across Ukraine, as well as to Romania and Moldova, providing "exclusive" terms, including assistance with paperwork and insurance. And its CEO Yuliya Khomyak is on the list of forwarding organizations that have contracts with "Ukrzaliznytsia" for transit transportation across the country for 2024.

Therefore, it is not excluded that the conflict in the prestigious restaurant was related to grain "schemes." However, do not underestimate the banal "household" aspect, meaning whatever was on the way is what they encountered.