In Mukachevo, a man was sentenced to life in prison for a brutal murder

The Mukachevo City and District Court in Zakarpattia Oblast sentenced a man found guilty of the brutal murder of 21-year-old Mykhailo to life in prison. The trial lasted nearly nine years: during that time, the verdict was repeatedly reviewed, and the victim’s mother continued to seek justice.

On October 9, 2026, in Case No. 303/3133/18, the court imposed the most severe punishment on the defendant—life imprisonment for intentional murder committed with particular cruelty. The proceedings involved hundreds of court hearings and three cassation reviews by the Supreme Court.

Doctor Law noted that the interests of the victim’s family were represented during the decisive stage of the trial in the court of first instance by a team from the law firm led by managing partner Kateryna Chekhunova.

The tragedy occurred on January 5, 2018, in the stairwell of an apartment building in Mukachevo. According to the facts established by the court, the assailant inflicted at least 21 stab and slash wounds on the young man in vital parts of his body.

According to the findings of forensic medical experts, all injuries were sustained while the victim was still alive. Their nature indicated particularly severe physical suffering and intense pain. Mykhailo died from blood loss and severe shock.

As Kateryna Chekhonova explained, the crime was motivated by jealousy and the attacker’s refusal to accept the breakup with his ex-girlfriend, who had begun dating Mykhailo.

“The motive for the attack was jealousy and his inability to accept the breakup with his ex-girlfriend, who had started dating Mykhailo. The defendant had been stalking and harassing the couple for a long time: he tracked their whereabouts, pointedly played with a knife in establishments where they spent time, and searched for the young man’s address under a false name,” the attorney said.

According to her, the murder was preceded by threats of violence. The body of 21-year-old Mykhailo was discovered by his mother. After the death of her only son, the woman spent years fighting for a just court ruling.

Eight years, nine months, and four days passed from the time of the tragedy until the new verdict was handed down. During this time, court rulings were repeatedly overturned, and the case was remanded for retrial.

Key stages of the trial:

• November 9, 2018 — The court initially sentenced the defendant to life imprisonment under paragraph 4 of part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
• June 25, 2019 — The Lviv Court of Appeals overturned the verdict and ordered a new trial in the court of first instance.
• During the retrial, the Mukachevo Court sentenced the man to 15 years in prison, reclassifying the crime as murder without particular cruelty.
• May 26, 2020 — The appellate court upheld the 15-year prison sentence.
• November 5, 2020 — The Supreme Court overturned the ruling of the Lviv Court of Appeals and remanded the case for a new appeal hearing.
• June 2, 2021 — The Lviv Court of Appeals again upheld the sentence.
• In 2022—the Supreme Court overturned the appellate court’s decision for the second time due to an incomplete examination of the evidence and violations of procedural rules, and ordered a new appellate review.
• A year later, the Lviv Court of Appeals upheld the first-instance verdict.
• In February 2024—the Supreme Court overturned the decision for the third time. The reasons cited were failure to comply with the cassation court’s instructions, improper evaluation of the evidence, and violations of the right to a defense.
• In April 2024, the case was remanded for a new trial to the court of first instance.
• On October 9, 2026, the court handed down a sentence of life imprisonment.

In justifying the sentence, the court noted that at least 21 stab wounds to vital organs indicated a deliberate choice of method of murder, which caused the victim unbearable pain while alive and extreme physical suffering.

The court found no mitigating circumstances. The serious consequences of the crime were recognized as an aggravating circumstance. The court also took into account that the defendant did not admit guilt and showed no remorse.

In the court’s opinion, the imposed sentence is “fair, necessary, and sufficient to reform the defendant and prevent him from committing new criminal offenses.”

The civil claim filed by the victim’s mother was partially granted. The court ordered the defendant to pay 34,106 hryvnias in funeral expenses and 2 million hryvnias for emotional distress. The court denied the remaining claims.

Kateryna Chekhonova, a managing partner at the Doctor Law law firm who has been involved in the case for the past year, called the ruling fair.

“Over the course of the year, we attended every court hearing on a pro bono basis and were present in the courtroom. During this time, we consistently defended the victim’s position at every stage of the proceedings. We obtained two expert opinions: a legal one—regarding the classification of the murder as having been committed with particular cruelty—and a medical one—regarding the physical pain and suffering endured by Mykhailo. “It is important to us that the court recognized these expert opinions and the facts they established,” she noted.

Doctor Law emphasized that if the verdict is appealed, the victim’s side is prepared to continue fighting for justice. The defendant’s defense team also has the option to file an appeal.

The team at the Doctor Law law firm, which represented the interests of the deceased’s family, provided details on the course of this high-profile case and the final verdict.

Earlier in the Kherson region, a father who served as a caregiver at a family-style children’s home was sentenced to life in prison for the systematic sexual abuse of seven children in his care. The youngest girl was only 10 years old at the time of the first offense. During a search of the man’s computer, authorities also found 483 photo and video files containing child pornography.

In the Odesa region, a 37-year-old man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for attempted murder with particular cruelty. He doused a 39-year-old woman with a flammable liquid and set her on fire after she refused to have sex with him.