Her murder was contracted: where is activist Ekaterina Gandsyuk buried, and have those responsible for her death been punished?

Ekaterina Gandzyuk was a prominent public and political figure, serving as a deputy in the Kherson regional and city councils. In 2018, she was attacked with sulfuric acid, resulting in 40% burns on her body. After undergoing several complex surgeries, the activist died in the hospital. The Gandzyuk case became one of the most high-profile incidents in the Ukrainian media landscape.

"Telegraph" will remind you of Gandzyuk's activities, who is responsible for her death, and where the activist was buried.

What is known about Ekaterina Gandzyuk

Ekaterina Gandzyuk was born in Kherson in 1985. She was an activist for the "Batkivshchyna" party and participated in the Orange Revolution. In 2006, Gandzyuk became a deputy in the Kherson Regional Council from the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT). Ekaterina co-founded the Agency for Civil Journalism "MOST," which focused on anti-corruption research in the Kherson region.

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Gandzyuk participated in Euromaidan and fought against the "Russian world" in Kherson. She assisted internally displaced persons and engaged in volunteer work. In 2014, she became a deputy in the Kherson City Council from Batkivshchyna. She served as an advisor to the Mayor of Kherson.

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Gandzyuk actively fought against pro-Russian forces in the Kherson region. She spoke out against the organizer of the "Russian runs" in Kherson — Kirill Stremousov. He repeatedly staged provocations in the Kherson City Council and populist rallies.

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Ekaterina reported on cases of corruption in the Kherson region. In 2018, she revealed that 200 individuals with fake "journalist IDs" had received weapons over the past four years.

The murder of Gandzyuk and the court case

In July 2018, Gandzyuk was attacked. The activist was doused with sulfuric acid, resulting in 40% burns on her body. She underwent several complex surgeries, but to no avail. In November 2018, Ekaterina passed away at the age of 33. The cause of death was multi-organ failure and chemical burns.

Gandzyuk was buried in the Kherson City Cemetery. Many fresh flowers were brought to her grave. A modest wooden cross was erected there.

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Later, a white monument in the shape of a cross was established for Gandzyuk, featuring gravestones in white and gray colors. A colorful portrait of the activist was attached to the cross. Additionally, benches, flower vases, and candle holders can be seen at the burial site.

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After the activist's death, concerned individuals initiated the campaign "Who ordered Katya Gandzyuk?" to urge law enforcement to punish those responsible. The perpetrators of the attack on Gandzyuk were recognized as Nikita Hrabchuk, Volodymyr Vasyanovych, Vyacheslav Vishnevskyi, Viktor Horbunov, and Serhii Torbin. They admitted their guilt and received sentences ranging from 3 to 6.5 years in prison.

The justice system recognized that the customer behind the assassination attempt on Gandzyuk was the former chairman of the Kherson Regional Council, Vladislav Manger. Co-organizers included former assistant to the people's deputy Palamarchuk, Igor Pavlovsky, and advisor to the head of the Kherson Regional Council, Oleksii Levin. Pavlovsky was conditionally sentenced in 2020 for concealing facts about the attack on Ekaterina Gandzyuk.

Meanwhile, in 2023, Manger and Levin were each sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Manger planned to mobilize, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that they were not preparing to enlist the former official.

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Earlier, "Telegraph" reported on the circumstances under which former State Duma deputy Denis Voronenkov was murdered in Ukraine, which was linked to Russian special services.