People in black prevented a Slidstvo.Info journalist from filming DBR chief Sukhachov in a public place

A group of unknown men dressed in black, one of whom identified himself as an employee of the State Bureau of Investigation, interfered with the communication and video recording of Slidstvo.Info journalists when they tried to speak with DBR Director Oleksiy Sukhachov. The incident occurred at a sports ground in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv on the morning of 8 October.

This was reported by Slidstvo.Info.

“It was a public place. I approached Mr. Oleksiy and asked how his brother managed to obtain ownership of 143 real estate properties in Kharkiv. He was surrounded by several men in black. One of them immediately began blocking the phone I was using to film. I was pushed aside. Then I approached again, introduced myself, asked the question, and another man in black blocked the way, also began interfering with the filming, ordered me to put the phone away, said he was an employee of a law enforcement agency, and pushed me aside,” said Slidstvo.Info journalist Oleg Kotyuzhansky.

In 17 July, eight Ukrainian outlets as part of the “143 Initiative” jointly published the investigation “Apartments for the Price of a Smartphone.” This happened after a court order by Pecherskyi Court judge Serhiy Vovk prohibited the publication of the material.

The investigation concerns 143 real estate properties linked to the brother of DBR head Oleksandr Sukhachov. In July 2018 he purchased 30 apartments in Kharkiv at laughably low prices — from 24 to 49 thousand hryvnias per unit ($932–1856 at the then exchange rate), which is significantly below market value. Most of these properties have now been re-registered.

Later, in 23 September, the Kyiv Court of Appeal overturned Judge Vovk’s ruling.