Home of deceased Ukrainian pilot 'Juice' searched over anti-corruption activist's case, media reports
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a statement from State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Tetiana Sapian.
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation searched the flat of a renowned pilot killed in a plane crash in 2023 in connection with a case of a top anti-corruption activist, Suspilne broadcaster reported on July 16, citing the pilot's mother.
Lilia Averianova, the mother of late MiG-29 pilot Andrii "Juice" Pilshchykov, told Suspilne that investigators came to the Kharkiv apartment on July 11 and demanded entry, threatening to break down the door.
"They (investigators) just called me and told me, 'we will break down your door, because we are looking for a criminal here,' they told me to come," said Averianova, who was in Kyiv during the call.
Pilshchykov, a decorated pilot with the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade and a vocal advocate for Ukraine's acquisition of F-16 fighter jets, was killed on Aug. 25, 2023, during a collision of two L-39 trainer jets. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
The search was connected with the investigation into Vitaliy Shabunin, one of Ukraine's most prominent anti-corruption activists, who had been staying in the apartment for some time, spokesperson for the State Bureau of Investigation Tetiana Sapian said, Ukrainian Pravda reported.
"State Bureau of Investigation officers are conducting a criminal investigation into fraud and a service member's evasion of military duty," Sapian said.
"As part of the case, a number of procedural steps were carried out.... All actions were carried out in strict accordance with current legislation, as confirmed by relevant court rulings."
According to Sapian, one such place was an apartment in Kharkiv, where Shabunin lived until he was notified of the charges against him on the morning of July 10.
Shabunin, co-founder of the Anti-Corruption Action Centre (AntAC) NGO, has been charged with evading military service and fraud, an accusation his team rejected as "absurd" and "vendetta" in comments for the Kyiv Independent.
The activist currently serves in the Armed Forces, and his unit is stationed in eastern Kharkiv Oblast.
Averianova said that friends who came to Kharkiv often stayed in the flat, explaining it was beneficial for somebody whom she trusts to look after the apartment amid Russian attacks and other emergency situations. Shabunin was among those staying there.
Pilshchykov's mother said that a neighbor with a spare key let the investigators into the apartment. She added that she had asked the officers not to disturb her son's belongings.
"They drove me to a state of stress. Now I've been hospitalized for inpatient treatment," Averianova told Suspilne.
"Many thanks for such 'honor' and 'care' from those who were supposed to protect me, not barge into my home. Andrii protected this home — he protected millions of homes and gave his life for it."
The bureau has not publicly commented on the search and told Suspilne they are clarifying the information.
Shabunin's case received broad attention due to the activist and his organization's role in investigating corruption in the government, including in the highest circles of the Presidential Office.
Serhii Rokun, Shabunin's lawyer, described the charges as "absolutely unfounded" during a court hearing on July 15. The court released Shabunin on a personal recognizance until Aug. 20, as the investigation is ongoing.
