Minister: Deputy police chief suspended after journalists' investigation

Deputy Police Chief Dmytro Tyshlek was suspended after a journalist investigation alleged that his wife held a Russian passport, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported on Oct. 28.

The Buhus. Info investigative outlet reported on Oct. 26 that Oleksandra Balakai, Tyshlek's wife, still holds a Russian passport she obtained in the 2000s while living in Russia’s Rostov region.

The journalists also spotted the deputy police chief and his wife were driving cars and staying in properties owned by a Russian crime boss.

The State Investigation Bureau launched an investigation following Tyshlek’s request to check the published information, Klymenko said.

When the story broke out, Tyshlek told Ukrainska Pravda media the “facts from my biography and family life were distorted.”

“I assure you if the facts reported in the media are confirmed, urgent and strict managerial decisions will be taken regarding Dmytro Tyshlek,” Klymenko said in a Telegram post on Oct. 28.