Granovsky, Yemelyanov and Azov Fighter “Bulat” Ready to Take Polygraph Tests in Response to Sobolev’s Statement

Earlier, Sobolev named a list of eight suspects.

On December 4, at the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kyiv, during a hearing on preventive measures for the suspects in the murder of Vyacheslav Sobolev’s son, a Kyiv Regional Council deputy commented to journalists and named a list of people who, in his opinion, may be involved in the tragedy. Among them are judges Artur Yemelyanov and Viktor Tatkov, businessman Pavel Malik (also known as Dmitry Murakhver), lawyer Ruslan Bravslavsky, Azov fighter “Bulat”, Yevgenia Burun and Alexander Granovsky, who, Sobolev believes, could have known about the assassination attempt. Vyacheslav Sobolev called on each of them to take a polygraph test to prove their innocence.

Vyacheslav Sobolev
Kyiv Regional Council deputy

I have no complaints about any of the people listed. I have one request for all of them so far, and I will leave one surname for later. Sit down at the detector and show me, my wife and my family that you are honest. You don’t need many words. Just show that you are honest and clean, as you like to say. ... Sasha (Granovsky — ed.), sit down at the detector, I want to hear what you have to say ... Who knew what, who ordered whom

A day later, three of the eight people on the list agreed to take a polygraph test.

The first to respond to Sobolev’s comment was former MP Alexander Granovsky. According to Granovsky, after he read Sobolev’s comment, he contacted a person close to him and arranged to organize a check.

Alexander Granovsky
former people’s deputy

I am a living person, I value people and I value life, and in my almost 40 years I have never heard of anything like this. Thank God Slava does not believe I was personally involved, but for some reason he thinks I may know some circumstances of this tragedy. As soon as I watched the interview recording, I immediately tried to contact the person close to you, Slava, to organize such a check. This person promised to call me back within an hour. I am sure that by evening we will agree on the logistics and put an end to this matter. Beyond this issue, I am ready to answer other questions on the topic of financing the media attack against you and my possible involvement in it

Later that evening, Vyacheslav Sobolev’s wife Inna said she had spoken with Alexander Granovsky, does not consider him involved in organizing the assassination attempt, and asked the media not to speculate on this topic. 

Judge Artur Yemelyanov also expressed readiness to take a polygraph test. Yemelyanov passed his statement to Ukrainian News and asked Vyacheslav Sobolev, if he has any suspicions, to file a complaint with the police.

Artur Yemelyanov
Judge of the High Commercial Court of Ukraine

The assassination attempt on Kyiv Regional Council deputy Vyacheslav Sobolev should be investigated by law enforcement agencies, and some Ukrainian internet media should stop trying to boost their scandalous ratings on human tragedies. I hope the lawyers have already advised Sobolev to file a complaint with the police if he has any suspicions. This would allow the victim’s words to be formalized procedurally. Other public statements or speculation about possible instigators of this terrible crime may be regarded as pressure on the investigation

Former Security Service employee and Azov member Mykhailo Ivanyuk also agreed to take a polygraph test. He said so in a conversation with journalists from Hromadske.

Mykhailo Ivanyuk
call sign “Bulat”

I am in a certain state of shock. I don’t understand why he named my surname alongside the others. I was on fairly friendly terms with him back then. We never had a conflict. He had a conflict with certain individuals over ownership of real estate in Mariupol

The editorial office of TK Media requested a comment from lawyer Ruslan Bravslavsky, whose surname was also mentioned in the “Sobolev list”. As of publication, we have not received a response. At the same time, the message is marked as read. In a comment to TSN, Bravslavsky said that “Slavik is trying to make himself out to be a victim”. According to Bravslavsky, he and Sobolev never had a conflict.

Ruslan Bravslavsky
Lawyer

I don’t understand why he names people linked to the Obzhora supermarkets, while saying that he has had no connection to Obzhora since 2007, and at the same time names people linked to Obzhora and says he could have been “ordered” to be killed. Did no one think about this? Slavik is trying to make himself out to be a victim in this whole situation. He is using this event to gain something. This is a tragedy, and he is using it for selfish purposes. He is cynically exploiting it 

Sobolev also named Viktor Tatkov and Yevgenia Burun among the likely suspects. Viktor Tatkov is a judge of the High Commercial Court of Ukraine and the subject of numerous journalistic investigations. He lives in Austria, where he applied for political asylum. In September, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine arrested him in absentia. Tatkov is suspected of committing crimes under Part 4 of Article 190, Part 3 of Article 209, Part 1 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 368, Part 3 of Article 368-2, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 375, Part 2 of Article 376 and Part 2 of Article 376-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (aiding and abetting and issuing unjust rulings, property and corruption crimes, creating and leading a criminal organization, interfering with the activities of judicial bodies and unlawfully interfering with the automated court document management system, receiving a bribe and money laundering).

Yevgenia Burun lives in occupied territories and controls the stores of the Obzhora supermarket chain in Donetsk.

Pavel Malik is a businessman. Online, you can find many mentions of his name in the context of accusations of raiding. Malik is linked to the activities of Artur Yemelyanov, Viktor Tatkov and Ruslan Bravslavsky.

To recall, on December 1, at around 17:30, a black Range Rover used by Donetsk businessman and Kyiv Regional Council deputy Vyacheslav Sobolev was shot at in central Kyiv. The shot killed the deputy’s three-year-old son, Alexander. The attack occurred at the corner of Tarasovska and Lva Tolstoho streets, as Sobolev was driving away from his restaurant “Mario” with his children and wife. 

Later, police detained two suspects, aged 18 and 19. One of them served in the Right Sector battalion. All the details of the incident and more information on the progress of the investigation can be read here.