Former police officer Ivan Prykhodko, accused of negligent homicide of 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov in Pereyaslav, Kyiv region, 7 years ago, has been mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is fighting as part of a Ukrainian Armed Forces unit in the Donetsk region. His lawyers are requesting a stay of proceedings until the end of the war.
This information was confirmed to Suspilne by the accused’s lawyer, Viktor Chevghuz.
A verdict was handed down in the case of the murder of 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov back in 2023. Currently, the case is under review by the appellate court.
The last hearing at the Kyiv Court of Appeal took place last Friday, June 5. At that time, lawyer Viktor Chevghuz presented the court with a certificate signed by the commander of the military unit regarding the enlistment of his client, Ivan Prykhodko, into the army.
“Ivan Prykhodko has been called up to the Armed Forces. He is currently in the Donetsk region, fighting. According to the Criminal Procedure Code, (in case of mobilization — ed.), the case against the accused is suspended and a separate proceeding is initiated,” the lawyer told Suspilne.
Kyrylo Tlyavov. UNIAN
Prykhodko was mobilized by Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCK) employees on March 19 this year. Despite having a third child, the man did not formalize the relevant deferment.
“He was caught on the street, then sent to a military unit. His phone was taken away, his wife only found out a few days later. She brought documents stating he had three children, and he had already been sent there. They said there’s a certain procedure, submit a report, get discharged. He is conscripted, there is an order,” explained Viktor Chevghuz.
Court in the case of Kyrylo Tlyavov’s murder. Suspilne / Nikita Galka
According to the lawyer, the accused has submitted a report requesting discharge, but it may take about six months to process. If the discharge is denied, the lawyer will seek release through the court.
“However, the Supreme Court’s position is that conscription in such cases is not canceled. Let him defend us,” he added.
Prosecutors in the courtroom requested a postponement of the hearing for a month to confirm Prykhodko’s mobilization and to determine whether service conditions would allow the accused to participate in hearings, including online. This was reported to Suspilne by the defense lawyers Viktor Chevghuz and Andriy Kozatskyi, and Elvira Kyrylenko, a representative of the Tlyavov family. We have also sent an inquiry to the regional prosecutor’s office and are awaiting a response.
Ivan Prykhodko in court. Suspilne News/Nikita Galka
The Suspilne editorial team found a TikTok account that may belong to Ivan Prykhodko. Since May 2026, the man has been publishing photos in military uniform, with fellow soldiers, and posing next to drones of various types.
According to Suspilne, Prykhodko might be serving in one of the separate unmanned systems battalions of the Armed Forces. Photos with drones could also indicate this. We have sent an inquiry to the unit to ascertain if the former police officer is indeed serving there and if he volunteered for mobilization. We have not yet received a response as of the publication of this material.
Former police officer Ivan Prykhodko, accused of negligent homicide of 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov. TikTok/Ivan Prykhodko
Is it legal to mobilize individuals involved in ongoing cases?
A ban on mobilization applies to those convicted of treason, espionage, aiding the aggressor state, and collaborationism. Also, those found guilty of particularly serious crimes, such as serial murders or systemic crimes against minors.
Voluntary mobilization of individuals convicted of less serious offenses is permitted only by court decision. After serving their sentence and having their criminal record expunged, TCK and SP employees may mobilize such citizens on general terms. Their commands assign them to separate units.
Regarding suspects and the accused, there is a legislative loophole. The Law “On Military Duty and Military Service” prohibits the replenishment of the military only with individuals accused of serious and particularly serious corruption offenses. The “Mobilization Law” does not contain a direct prohibition against mobilizing individuals involved in cases at all, as confirmed to Suspilne by Viktor Chevghuz and Elvira Lazarenko, a representative of the Tlyavov family. However, such mobilization would violate the Criminal Code if a pre-trial restrictive measure has been imposed by the court.
What will happen to the case?
The regional prosecutor’s office will send an inquiry to the Ministry of Defense to ascertain whether Ivan Prykhodko is indeed serving and if he will be able to participate in hearings. Subsequently, the Kyiv Court of Appeal will decide whether to continue the proceedings, suspend the review concerning Prykhodko alone, or pause the entire case until the end of the war.
As lawyer Chevghuz stated, the case concerning his client should be separated into a distinct proceeding and its review suspended until the end of martial law or demobilization. For the other individuals involved, hearings can continue based on the court’s decision.
Elvira Lazarenko, the representative of the murdered Kyrylo Tlyavov’s family, explained that court practices vary: sometimes proceedings against mobilized individuals are suspended, while in other instances, hearings continue.
“We understand why he (Ivan Prykhodko — ed.) is doing this. No one knows how long the war will last. I believe he is trying to avoid punishment in this way, as there is a risk that the appellate court may overturn the verdict regarding the more serious charge of hooliganism. This is because the statute of limitations for negligent homicide expired two years ago,” the lawyer emphasized.
According to her, the Tlyavov family’s representatives will file an appeal with the Ministry of Defense and the military unit requesting the cancellation of Prykhodko’s mobilization order, as they consider it a means to evade criminal liability.
“The proceedings concerning Prykhodko should undoubtedly be suspended,” believes Andriy Kozatskyi, the lawyer for other individuals involved in the case, former police officer Volodymyr Petrovets and his son Stanislav.
However, according to Serhiy Kischenko, the lawyer for the fourth accused in the case, Dmytro Kryvoshei, the entire case should be suspended.
“The entire case needs to be suspended. Ivan claims he did not commit negligent homicide. He asserts that others were responsible. Furthermore, the appeals concerning group hooliganism apply to all defendants, not individually. Proceedings without Prykhodko would, in any outcome, affect his rights,” stressed Serhiy Kischenko.
What is known about the boy Kyrylo Tlyavov’s death
On May 31, 2019, four individuals, including two police officers, were consuming alcohol and socializing in the yard of a private residence in Pereyaslav-Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv region. During their gathering, the men decided to shoot at metal cans with firearms. Later, it was discovered that a bullet had struck a boy in the neighboring yard. On June 3, five-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov died in the hospital.
Two police officers, Ivan Prykhodko and Volodymyr Petrovets, were detained on suspicion of murder. Following the child’s death, the case was reclassified as intentional homicide. The police officers were arrested for two months without the possibility of bail. They did not admit guilt and refused to cooperate with investigators.
In July, investigators issued suspicion notices to two more citizens, one of whom was a minor. On November 5, the Director of the State Bureau of Investigation, Roman Truba, announced that investigators had determined the circumstances under which 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov was killed.
On December 23, 2020, the indictment regarding the murder of 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov was sent to court. The case is being investigated under the articles “hooliganism committed with the use of firearms or cold weapons” and “negligent homicide.”
The verdict was delivered six days before the 4th anniversary of the murder of 5-year-old Kyrylo Tlyavov – on May 25, 2023. Former police officer Ivan Prykhodko was sentenced to four years in prison. Another former law enforcement officer, Volodymyr Petrovets, received a two-year suspended sentence for illegal possession of ammunition. Two other individuals involved in the case, Dmytro Kryvoshei and Stanislav Petrovets, who was a minor at the time of the crime, were acquitted by the court.