Suspected killer of Crimean Simeiz mayor captured in Lviv after 12 years

The search, which lasted more than a decade, ended with a successful operation in Lviv. Law enforcers got on the trail of a man suspected of the high-profile shooting of Simeiz village head back in February 2013. Despite the fact that many years have passed since the daring crime in Crimea, the suspect has not managed to completely disappear into civilian life. He is currently in custody, and the court is preparing to impose a preventive measure on him.

This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General on Facebook.

In February 2013, an unknown person shot at Kyrylo Kostenko 's car near the village council building. The 40-year-old official died on the spot from his injuries. The investigation found that the attack was carefully planned: the perpetrator had studied the mayor's schedule and prepared the vehicle in advance. After the attack, the suspect burned the car with the weapons near the scene and left Ukraine.

Despite the long absence of the suspect, the Crimean police , together with the autonomy's prosecutor's office, were able to establish his current location. On January 28, 2026, the man was detained in Lviv. A pre-trial restraint is currently being imposed on him. Earlier, in 2021, law enforcement officers had already detained the alleged organizer of the murder, Lviv resident Denys Ohorodnikov.

Kyrylo Kostenko has been the head of Simeiz since 2010. There were many questions about his professional activities : he was suspected of land fraud and receiving a bribe of 400 thousand hryvnias. He was detained for some time, but due to the lack of evidence, he was released and returned to his duties. The deceased is survived by his wife and five children.

Катерина Глушко