Former State Duma deputy Gadzhiev suspected of organizing contract killing of veteran in Kyiv — press briefing

Former State Duma deputy Magomed Gadzhiev, who is included in Ukrainian sanctions lists and against whom an in absentia trial is ongoing in Ukraine, is suspected of ordering the murder of Ukrainian veteran and activist Todor Panovsky; the hitman was detained by the SBU — reported today at a press conference in Kyiv.

"The hitman introduced himself as an employee of a serious special service, proposed a meeting. I called my acquaintances back, they say: ’we don’t have such a person'," — Panovsky himself reported the circumstances of the case.

According to him, when this was discovered — a special operation was prepared to detain the attacker.

"After he got the weapon, they ’packed him up,’ because both they (Ukrainian special services — ed.) knew, and I was ready," — said Panovsky.

The assassination attempt foiled by the SBU occurred two days after another court hearing in the Gadzhiev case at Kyiv’s Pechersk Court. Panovsky, together with his brothers-in-arms, monitors the process — and this, as he believes, became the reason for which his murder was ordered.

"Well, if there’s a trial regarding Gadzhiev and they call me right before the trial... then the goal was a demonstrative murder to intimidate not only activists but all Ukrainians," — said Panovsky at the press conference.

According to him, the consideration of the Gadzhiev case has been dragging on for over a year. Therefore, Ukrainian veterans and activists are now creating an open Civic Platform, within which they will unite efforts to search for and bring to justice all Russian war criminals and war sponsors, using the experience of investigating the Gadzhiev case.

Magomed Gadzhiev — State Duma deputy of four convocations (2003-2021). The State Bureau of Investigation of Ukraine in January 2024 brought charges against him for encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine (Part 1, Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) for the facts of "facilitating the illegal entry of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea into Russia." At the end of summer 2024, the case was transferred to Kyiv’s Pechersk Court, but the process is dragging on and there is still no verdict.

Ukrainian courts have already issued more than 70 in absentia verdicts to former and current State Duma deputies. In particular, at the end of October 2025, the Ternopil Court of Appeal confirmed verdicts for 21 State Duma deputies — 15 years of imprisonment (each) with confiscation of property.