Ukrainian Batkivshchyna party member found dead, linked to fugitive duo
In the morning of March 28, the body of a man was found on the roadside in the Kamianske area of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He was a member of the "Batkivshchyna" party, a former head of its structures in Kamianske, and a former deputy mayor, Oleksandr Plakhotnik. According to the media, he had a gunshot wound to the head.
The regional branch of the "Batkivshchyna" party is refraining from commenting on its member's death. The head of the deputies' faction in the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, Antonina Ulyakhina, told "Suspilne" that law enforcement agencies are investigating all the circumstances to determine what happened.
"We believe it was a contract killing"
This is a painful loss for the party. Oleksandr led the branch in Kamianske for a very long time. I feel like he always led it. He was tactful, had diplomatic skills, and could resolve conflicts when they arose, she said.
The body of the deputy was found on the roadside by another driver. According to the TSN station, the man had a gunshot wound to the head.
There's no official statement from the party on this matter yet. We are in shock, and we believe it was a contract killing. Oleksandr was a very important, long-term, and influential member of the party and an activist, said Volodymyr Fedorov, head of the informational and analytical department of the regional organization of the "Batkivshchyna" party, to TSN.
According to the head of the communication department of the Kamianske City Council, Ihor Zadorozhny, Plakhotnik had been mainly involved in business rather than politics recently.
His wife was a deputy of the regional council. He himself was not a political figure. His business, as far as I know, was not located in Kamianske. He was a decent man who took care of his affairs. He supported sports and led a quiet life, he added.
Had connections with the Dubynsky brothers wanted by the FBI
According to the media, Plakhotnik was connected to brothers Volodymyr and Leonid Dubynsky, who the FBI wants on real estate fraud charges in the USA.
Leonid Dubynsky is also suspected of embezzling CAD 6.3 million earmarked for reconstructing the water supply system in the Kamianske area.
In January 2025, he was detained, and the court set bail at CAD 2.9 million, which was paid. Oleksandr Plakhotnik served as the municipal enterprise "Kamianske Water Supply" director from 2017 to 2019.
