Death of MP Polyakov: Resuscitation Footage and Catheters with Unknown Substance

Deputy Interior Minister also denied reports that the taxi driver changed his testimony.

Video has emerged of the resuscitation of People's Deputy Anton Polyakov, who was found dead in a taxi on the night of October 8. 

The video contains footage from a police officer's body camera after the taxi carrying Polyakov was stopped by law enforcement. Police officers first try to resuscitate the MP, and then an ambulance arrives. 

First Deputy Interior Minister said that two catheters containing a brown substance, as well as cash, were found during the examination of Anton Polyakov's body. 

Yevhen Yenin
First Deputy Interior Minister

During the examination of the deceased People's Deputy's body, cash totaling about 10,000 hryvnias and $800, as well as two samples of catheters containing a brown substance, were found among his personal belongings. We are investigating what this substance is. 

He noted that the investigation has not yet obtained evidence of a violent death of Polyakov: “To date, the investigation has not received any grounds to claim a possible violent death.” 

Yenin said that investigators questioned the MP's partner, who lived with him, by her account, since spring 2021 (presumably referring to People's Deputy Anna Skorokhod — Ed.). 

“When we asked her directly whether she had any suspicions of a possible violent death of the deputy, she answered quite categorically ‘no,’” Yevhen Yenin said. 

According to him, on the evening before his death, Polyakov called citizen D., with whom he was on friendly terms, and proposed meeting. They met at a restaurant, where they spent about three hours. Video recordings from the restaurant confirm that they drank alcoholic beverages together there. 

Yenin also reported that at some point a third person joined their table at the restaurant. 

Yevhen Yenin
First Deputy Interior Minister

Records confirm that the former People's Deputy left the restaurant in perfectly good health and subsequently got into the car of this same citizen D., and they drove around Kyiv for about two hours. Later, citizen D. called a taxi, which first followed their main car, and then, presumably, they finished their conversation and Mr. Polyakov transferred to the taxi driver's car. 

The Deputy Interior Minister denied reports that the taxi driver changed his testimony: “I would like to dispel from the very beginning any claims about the supposed change in the taxi driver's testimony. Testimony is given under protocol, during interrogation, and when this witness was interrogated under protocol, the driver provided his testimony, which to this day has not been changed in any way. Although he, of course, has the right to do so.” 

Yenin added that the taxi driver had been warned of criminal liability for giving knowingly false testimony. 

Regarding the methadone found in Polyakov's blood, Yenin said that it is impossible to die from an overdose of this drug: “It is impossible to die from its overdose. Literally 2 ml of a 1% solution is enough for a person to get their dose. There is no threat to life at all. It is quite actively used in disaster medicine.”