A Chronicle of the Investigations into Viktor Goldsky: How the Owner of Comments.ua Fled from the TCC, the National Police, and Journalists
Viktor Goldsky, the owner of the Ukrainian publication “Kommentari,” has repeatedly found himself in the spotlight due to the activities of his media outlet. In particular, the website published critical articles about public figures, which were later removed. The circumstances surrounding their disappearance became a topic of discussion and gave rise to speculation that money may have been received in exchange for removing the articles.
Upon taking a closer look at Goldsky himself, investigators also focused on his potential connections and media projects, which, according to available data, may have been aimed at maintaining the influence of fugitive businessman Serhiy Kurchenko in the Ukrainian information space.
In addition, open sources contain information about Viktor Goldsky’s alleged involvement in schemes to defraud elderly people and members of vulnerable population groups of their real estate. It is precisely these circumstances that became the subject of our investigation.
But first things first.
A Media Service for a Fugitive Oligarch: How “Kommentarii” Serves Kurchenko
Sanctioned oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko, who hurriedly moved to Russia back in 2014 to seek the protection of the Russian security services, continues to attempt to influence the Ukrainian media landscape and economy. His main tool for maintaining this influence is likely his former subordinate, Viktor Goldsky, who is now the official owner of the “Comments.ua” media group.
According to state registries, Goldsky owns several companies and a charitable foundation. Interestingly, he has opted out of having a tax identification number—a move previously made by other figures implicated in corruption cases, such as former NBU Governor Serhiy Arbuzov, who is said to be a friend of Kurchenko.
The connection between the “young oligarch” from the Yanukovych era and his current media representative runs deep:
- Shared roots in UMH: Before becoming an “independent media owner,” Goldsky helped build Kurchenko’s financial empire, serving as deputy general director for economics at Ukrainian Media Holding (UMH).
- Nominal Release from Seizure: After the “gas king” fled, UMH’s assets were transferred to ARMA for management. However, in 2018, “Kommentary” was mysteriously released from seizure and re-registered in Goldsky’s name. He is currently the official beneficiary of “COMMENTS TODAY” LLC and the owner of the domain name comments.ua.
- Shared financial habits: Goldsky demonstrates a striking continuity of methods from the Yanukovych era. In particular, he has officially refused to obtain a tax identification number. Previously, another close associate of Kurchenko—former NBU Governor Serhiy Arbuzov, with whom they are now jointly running a coal business in Chukotka, Russia (through the Cypriot offshore company Prontoservus Limited).
Housing Issues
While “Kommentarii” likely serves the major interests of the fugitive oligarch Kurchenko, Viktor Goldsky hasn’t forgotten about more down-to-earth sources of income.
According to the property rights registry, he suddenly became the owner of nine apartments in Kyiv. Sources suggest these may involve dubious schemes to acquire real estate from lonely individuals and people with mental disorders. It is noteworthy that the same notary, Ms. Antsiferova, appears in all these transactions, and investigators are already looking into her activities.
After news of his ties to Kurchenko broke, the UA.NEWS editorial office began receiving a flood of reports from citizens with shocking testimonies. This concerns Goldsky’s alleged involvement in systematic schemes to seize real estate from socially vulnerable segments of the population—lonely retirees, people struggling with drug addiction, and individuals with mental health conditions—in Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Kropyvnytskyi.
Here’s what the journalists found out: typically, gift agreements or lifetime support contracts are drawn up with these vulnerable individuals. By law, Goldsky would be required to fully provide for the beneficiaries, purchase medication, and pay for utilities. In practice, however, journalists discovered massive utility debts at these addresses, over which service providers are already taking these unfortunate people to court. According to neighbors, the elderly are simply left to fend for themselves without any assistance.
Relatives of the victims often only learn about the change in ownership of the residence after their loved ones have passed away. A telling example is Court Case No. 761/31203/20 in the Desnianskyi District Court of Kyiv. It was only after his sister’s funeral that the plaintiff discovered that her apartment had been transferred to third parties under a life-maintenance agreement. At the same time, the deceased woman had been registered for a long time at Kyiv Psychoneurological Hospital No. 2 with a diagnosis of “epileptic psychosis,” meaning she was physically incapable of understanding the significance of her actions or controlling them.
Another story was shared by Kyiv resident Serhiy, whose family apartment was targeted by an entire group of fraudsters with the assistance of “their own” notary. The perpetrators claimed that his uncle had allegedly gifted a share of the property to strangers. It is noteworthy that the uncle himself had a drug addiction and, immediately after the “execution” of the deal, suddenly died—allegedly of a heart attack—in a drug den. Moreover, several other people later died under strange circumstances in the same building. The relatives’ appeals to the police have so far yielded no results.
All these facts point to the likely existence of a well-established and sophisticated scheme for seizing property from defenseless people. The UA.NEWS editorial team has already sent inquiries to the notaries who certified these questionable transactions and continues to gather evidence to submit a comprehensive dossier to law enforcement agencies.
The editorial team has also sent an official letter to the Security Service of Ukraine reporting the crime, so that law enforcement officials can thoroughly investigate Viktor Goldsky’s activities for direct collaboration with Serhiy Kurchenko, who is wanted for financing separatism.
The Goldsky Family Business
To ensure that fugitive oligarch Serhiy Kurchenko’s media empire continues to operate smoothly even in the fifth year of full-scale war, Viktor Goldsky has turned serving these interests into a true “family business.” To this end, his wife, father-in-law, and mother-in-law were drawn into the chain of asset legalization and preservation.
This family scheme is built around the company “Evolution Media,” which law enforcement agencies once overlooked while ARMA was selling off “Ukrainian Media House” in pieces:
- The Father-in-Law as Investor and Offshore Maneuvers: After Donetsk businessman Haiduk left the country, “Evolution Media” was sold through a front company in Cyprus, “Sherell Limited” (SHERELL LIMITED). A certain Yevgeniy Nazarov became the new nominal owner. As it turned out, he is the stepfather of Olga Khoroshayeva—the current wife of Viktor Goldsky. From the outset, the deal itself did not appear to be a genuine purchase, but rather a technical tool to preserve Kurchenko’s control over the media market. Recall that even during the ARMA tender in 2020, Ihor Kolomoyskyi explicitly stated that the agency was effectively trying to return Kurchenko’s confiscated assets to him.
- Mother-in-law—an official with media assets: Nazarov had to officially “disclose” the acquired property in the declaration of his wife, Nina Khoroshayeva. She is a current public official, heading the Health Department of the Brovary City Council. In addition to her work on Brovary’s healthcare issues, Ms. Khoroshayeva officially owns a stake in “Evolushen Media,” including the “Kyiv Weekly” publication’s trademark.
- A Wife in on the Action: Olga Khoroshayeva (Goldskaya), the daughter of the Brovary official and the official wife of the media mogul, also played a role in the process. The company “VD MASAVI” LLC is registered in her name.
Thus, the entire Goldsky-Khoroshaev family has been deeply entangled in the ownership structure of the “gas king’s” media empire. Even under strict sanctions, Kurchenko’s business interests continue to operate successfully in Ukraine through a classic set of tactics: shell companies, marital ties, and transferring assets to close relatives.
Lawsuit Against UA.News
Predictably, following a series of investigations into Goldsky, he filed a lawsuit with the Pecherskyi District Court in March 2026 seeking to protect his “honor, dignity, and business reputation.” However, the Kyiv City Court at that time declined to consider the merits of the claim and left it pending for a reason so trivial it was laughable: a “successful media mogul,” who is also a lawyer claiming to own media assets worth millions, simply skimped on or forgot to pay the court fee. Having filed as many as three non-monetary claims, Goldsky “owed” the state nearly 4,000 hryvnias.
Document Forgery: National Police Take on Goldsky
Subsequently, as UA.News learned from its own sources, the National Police opened a criminal investigation into Viktor Goldsky’s unlawful actions. The criminal case was registered under Part 1 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for document forgery.
The case was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations on April 3, 2026. The basis for launching the investigation was an official ruling by the Svyatoshynsky District Court of Kyiv. The judges clearly identified signs of a criminal offense in Viktor Goldsky’s actions and forwarded the case materials to law enforcement authorities.
The pre-trial investigation is currently being conducted by the preliminary investigation unit of the Svyatoshynsky Police Department in Kyiv. Prosecutors are overseeing the police’s actions.
At this stage, no official charges have been filed against anyone, as initial investigative actions are still underway. However, legal experts emphasize that the current classification of the offense is only preliminary. Given the extensive body of previously disclosed facts regarding the misappropriation of Kyiv residents’ property and the manipulation of documents, if the evidence is confirmed, the legal classification could be significantly aggravated by other, much “more serious” articles of the Criminal Code.
How Goldsky Is Hiding from the TCC
In April 2026, journalists discovered that Viktor Goldsky is also aware of the mobilization—or, more precisely, is evading it by feigning teaching and student activities at the Academy of Labor, Social Relations, and Tourism (ALSRT).
Initially, Goldsky officially registered as an associate professor at the Academy. However, according to our sources, his actual workload amounts to a meager 0.26 full-time equivalent. Under Ukrainian law, such a symbolic teaching load does not grant any right to a deferment from conscription. The status turned out to be purely nominal.
Realizing that a quarter of a teaching position would not save him from a draft notice, Kurchenko’s media manager urgently resorted to another tactic. In May 2024, at the ripe age of 43, Goldsky urgently enrolled in a full-time doctoral program. It was this maneuver that allowed him to mislead the Shevchenkivskyi District Military Registration and Enlistment Office and the Kyiv City Military Commissariat and secure the coveted deferment.
Currently, the newly minted “scholar” is allegedly working on a dissertation about an “effective fiscal model.” However, law enforcement agencies have reasonable grounds to suspect that all this armchair scholarship is merely a tool to evade military service.
But these document-related schemes have officially become part of the very same criminal proceeding that was reported earlier. The information was entered into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under No. 12026105080000387. Investigators are thoroughly examining the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Goldsky’s educational documents and their use to manipulate mobilization lists.
Incidentally, the administration of the Academy of Labor tried until the very end to cover for its “star” doctoral student, refusing to provide information to journalists under the pretext of confidentiality. However, under pressure from the official criminal investigation, the university administration was forced to disclose all the details of his “academic” career to law enforcement.
Goldsky’s Second Attempt: The Lawsuit Against UA.NEWS Was Finally Accepted
Viktor Goldsky, owner of the media holding Comments.ua, who initially failed to properly file the documents with the Pechersky District Court of Kyiv, has now corrected the procedural deficiencies. The court accepted for consideration his lawsuit seeking protection of his honor, dignity, and business reputation against the editorial office (News Flash Information Agency LLC).
Goldsky is demanding that the investigative report titled “Kurchenko’s People: How the Oligarch’s Media Empire ‘Resurrected’ in Ukraine Under the Control of the Goldsky Family” be completely removed from the UA.NEWS website. The plaintiff is asking the court to declare six key claims false. In particular, he insists that:
- The publication Comments.ua “was never one of Kurchenko’s media outlets”;
- The fugitive oligarch himself retains no influence over the media market through assets held by Goldsky;
- In 2014–2015, Goldsky did not work at UMH as commercial director under the leadership of the controversial former People’s Deputy from the “Party of Regions,” Olena Bondarenko;
- He is not a “puppet” who promotes commissioned articles for money.
Goldsky’s lawyers note that since removing individual sentences would disrupt the logic of the article and make it “fragmented,” the article must be removed from the website entirely. Instead, UA.NEWS is required to publish a retraction in its place.
To prove to the court the extent of the damage to his reputation, the plaintiff decided not to skimp on costs. If he wins the case, Goldsky plans to recover 63,027.40 hryvnias in legal fees from the UA.NEWS editorial office.
Interestingly, the lion’s share of this amount went not toward court fees but toward private expert services intended to prove that the journalists had defamed him:
- Semantic and textual analysis — 33,165.00 UAH;
- Report on the preservation of a web page via the “WEB-FIX” network — 4,800.00 UAH;
- Payment for the Structure Report (Cyprus)—2,400.00 UAH;
- Court filing fee — 2,662.40 UAH;
- Costs for legal assistance in court — 20,000.00 UAH.
As evidence to support his case, Goldsky attached to the complaint a copy of his employment record book, a certificate from the Pension Fund regarding his length of service, a copy of the order hiring him at VD Masavi LLC, as well as a copy of the order from the Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force dated June 8, 2022, and an expert opinion from “Expert and Research Service of Ukraine” LLC.
For its part, the editorial team would like to remind readers that our investigations are backed by evidence, so we will responsibly keep our readers informed about every new development in Viktor Goldsky’s life.
