The Shevchenko District Court of Kyiv has handed down verdicts to three suspects in a case that combines several tragic crimes related to the murder of a three-year-old son of former Kyiv Regional Council deputy Vyacheslav Sobolyev
This is one of the high-profile criminal cases of recent years, which drew public attention to issues of safety and the possibilities for proper investigation and punishment of the perpetrators. According to information published by " Судовий репортер" ("Judicial Reporter"), the trial concluded with verdicts for three individuals involved, including former anti-terrorism operation participant Andriy Lavreza, as well as Yuriy Tkachenko and Yevhen Semenov. They received prison sentences of 15 and 13 years respectively, with confiscation of property. Specifically, Lavreza was convicted of attempted murder of the former deputy and of negligent homicide of his three-year-old child. The accused partially admitted their guilt but have different versions of the events. Andriy Lavreza claimed that his intentions were only to intimidate, suggesting a lack of premeditation to kill. Meanwhile, Tkachenko and Semenov categorically denied any involvement in the crimes and insisted on their innocence. It is noteworthy that suspect and co-organizer Yusup Abuyev is currently on the wanted list. The official perpetrator of the crime has not yet been identified, which adds further intrigue and uncertainty surrounding the case. According to the background of the criminal case, the tragedy occurred on December 1, 2019, near the "Mario" restaurant at an intersection in the Shevchenko district of Kyiv. On that day, in a Range Rover driven by Sobolyev, there were his wife and two minor children. During movement, an unknown individual opened fire on the vehicle with an unregistered firearm. A single bullet pierced the driver’s side window and fatally wounded the three-year-old, resulting in a terrible tragedy for the family and sparking waves of sympathy and outrage in society. The detained suspects have different motives and justifications, but the judicial system has rendered its assessment of their actions by imposing lengthy prison sentences. Meanwhile, the issue of the crime’s mastermind remains unresolved, as no official statements about his identity have been made, leaving room for additional speculation and hypotheses. This case serves as yet another reminder of the complexity of criminal investigations in areas involving ordered murders and attempted assassinations, as well as the resilience of Ukraine’s justice system in fighting organized crime and corruption schemes. More details and analysis are expected over time, as the case is far from conclusion and requires further investigation, pursuit of the masterminds, and clarification of the circumstances surrounding this tragic event.