In the Kuban region, individuals connected to the disappearance and suspected murder of two animators near Krasnodar have been detained. The reports come from multiple Russian outlets that cited unnamed sources, including a national news agency and regional channels. The released information indicates that investigators have taken individuals into custody and that the bodies of the missing have begun to be located in the course of ongoing inquiries.
According to reports, investigators have obtained testimony from those detained and have identified the locations where the bodies of Kirill Chubko and Tatyana Mostyko are believed to lie. It is noted that the body of the female victim has already been recovered. Journalistic outlets have indicated that investigators are examining whether the crime resulted from premeditation or arose from a developing confrontation between the suspects and the victims.
One channel on the Telegram network claimed that a suspect was detained on May 1 and provided video footage of an interrogation in which the individual did not disclose his identity and reportedly declined to confess. The same source suggested that during spring 2014 the detainee formed an armed group, which allegedly included a minor, that engaged in home invasions, car stops, and threats using firearms to seize victims’ valuables. The channel asserted that the detained individuals are connected to the case involving Tatyana Mostyko, while Kirill Chubko’s fate remained uncertain at that time.
Additional outlets reported that a detention had occurred, with some noting that a suspect previously had a record of serious offenses. The exact number of people involved in the crime remained unclear as investigations continued. In the course of inquiry, investigators reported finding signs of violent death on the female victim’s body, underscoring the severity of the crime under investigation.
Earlier, officials from the Investigative Committee in Krasnodar Territory announced a coordination meeting attended by the head of the department to review ongoing search operations and to confirm the identities of those suspected of involvement in the disappearances and the murder. The ministry’s public statements emphasized that the meeting affirmed the grounds for detaining suspects and outlined instructions for conducting special investigative actions to establish the victims’ locations and to uncover all circumstances of the crime.
Subsequent statements from regional officials clarified that initial reports about the discovery of Mostyko’s body were not verified. The wife of Kirill Chubko communicated via social channels that neither her husband nor Mostyko had been located at that time, appealing for prudence in reporting and indicating that the search would continue. The message conveyed a personal plea for restraint from condolences while confirming ongoing search efforts.
Kirill Chubko, aged 37, ran an events agency, while Tatyana Mostyko, aged 19, worked there as an animator. The couple disappeared on the M-4 Don highway, en route from the village of Krylovskaya to the city of Ust-Labinsk. A call to a spouse shortly before their disappearance suggested a vehicle issue and a plan for assistance, after which communication ceased and unauthorized withdrawals from the couple’s cards were observed at various ATMs across the region.
Volunteer search efforts mobilized more than 500 participants. On May 1, authorities located a burned Hyundai vehicle in the Bryukhovetsky district, near a forested belt alongside a dirt road, where the missing individuals had last been seen. A criminal case was opened under the applicable sections of the Criminal Code, and investigators continued to pursue leads across the landscape of the Kuban region as they pursued the full truth of what transpired.
As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement agencies emphasize a careful and methodical approach to establish timelines, identify all possible participants, and determine the motives behind the tragedy. The public remains attentive to updates from official channels as authorities work to ensure a thorough accounting of the events that led to this violent crime.