Beaten, tortured and burned alive: Son of Kharkiv’s deputy mayor killed in Vienna over cryptocurrency

The Austrian newspaper "Kronen Zeitung" reports that 21-year-old Danylo Kuzmin, the son of Kharkiv’s deputy mayor, was murdered over cryptocurrency worth approximately $200,000 USD.

According to the newspaper's information, he was lured into a trap in the underground garage of the luxury hotel "SO/Vienna" (Sofitel group) by a 19-year-old compatriot he trusted. During meetings in Vienna, Kuzmin carelessly told the acquaintance about his father's assets stored in digital wallets.

The young man teamed up with a 45-year-old Ukrainian to plan the murder. In the garage, the victim Kuzmin was brutally beaten — blood traces were found in the stairwell, and Kuzmin had almost all his teeth knocked out.

As a result of torture, he gave up the access codes to two cryptocurrency wallets. The severely injured Kuzmin was forced into the back seat of his father's Mercedes, driven to Vienna's Donaustadt district, doused with gasoline, and the car was set on fire while he was still alive.

Using the hotel's surveillance camera recordings, Vienna police quickly identified the suspects. After an international manhunt, they were arrested in Ukraine.

The killers managed to withdraw $200,000 USD; at the time of arrest, approximately $100,000 USD was found on the 19-year-old man. According to the newspaper, the other 45-year-old suspect is a former high-ranking official of the Odesa customs service, while the 19-year-old man whom Kuzmin trusted is the son of a well-known businessman from Chernivtsi and the stepson of Ukraine’s ambassador to Bulgaria.

From the materials of the criminal case

Checking the information confirms that Kharkiv's (Kharkiv) deputy mayor is Serhiy Kuzmin (Ukrainian: Сергій Кузьмін, in some sources Sergei or Serhii Kuzmin), and the brutally murdered Danylo Kuzmin was his son.

Serhiy Kuzmin holds the position of deputy head of the Kharkiv city council, responsible for digital transformation, land issues, and other aspects, and, as it turned out, was involved in cryptocurrency operations.

In the course of a large-scale investigation, not only based on the hotel's video surveillance recordings but also through a series of operational measures, the identities of the attackers (killers) have already been established, namely:

The person Kuzmin trusted, who managed to lure the victim into the underground parking, is Bogdan Rynzhuk (Ukrainian: Богдан Ринжук, Bogdan Rynzhuk), a 19-year-old Ukrainian citizen from a well-off family.

He is one of the main suspects in the brutal murder of Danylo Kuzmin, which occurred in Vienna on November 25–26, 2025.

He is the son of an influential Chernivtsi (Bukovina region) businessman Ivan Rynzhuk, known as the large-scale "market king" (Market King) with an extensive trading empire (dozens of companies, including in the jewelry business, for example, the company "Gemma" or "Jemma").

The father Ivan Rynzhuk was previously accused of financial crimes related to his business but was acquitted in Ukraine in 2021.

Bogdan's stepmother is Olesya Ilashchuk (Олеся Ілащук), Ukraine's ambassador to Bulgaria since 2022 (precisely from the end of 2022, when President Zelenskyy appointed her to the position, surprising those around with this choice and causing misunderstanding and outrage in society).

Before becoming a diplomat (with all the corresponding status privileges), Olesya Ilashchuk had previously (2010–2015) been the press secretary or manager in Ivan Rynzhuk's company, and her appointment to a diplomatic post caused a scandal precisely because of these business ties.

In official declarations, Bogdan is listed as her stepson.

Since 2022, Bogdan has lived and studied in Austria, where he studied together with the victim Danylo Kuzmin even at the same university.

It was this acquaintance and friendship that created the preconditions for Danylo to trust and share information about his father's financial affairs, but later — the trust allowed him to lure Kuzmin into a trap in the underground garage of Vienna's Sofitel hotel.

Together with the other suspect, the 45-year-old former Odesa customs officer Aleksandr Agoev, he participated in torturing the victim to obtain access codes to cryptocurrency wallets (stolen approximately $200,000 USD).

After the crime, Bogdan and Agoev fled but were detained in Ukraine (in Odesa), returning from Hungary. A significant amount of money was found on them (approximately $90,000 USD in cash).

The investigation is ongoing in Ukraine, where the suspects are expected to stand trial.

There is no political or war-related motive in the case — it is a pure criminal offense (robbery for cryptocurrency theft), committed in an organized group, by prior conspiracy for mercenary purposes and with particular cruelty.

Some sources emphasize the influential position of the families in Ukraine and connections to diplomacy, which has attracted additional media attention.

The initial attack site — underground garage (Tiefgarage) of the luxury hotel SO/Vienna (Sofitel group), address: Praterstraße 1, 1020 Wien (Leopoldstadt district, Vienna's 2nd district). There the attack, abduction, and initial physical impact occurred, blood and struggle traces were found, as well as other material evidence.

The car abducted from the underground parking and then deliberately set on fire to hide crime traces (black Mercedes belonging to the victim's father) was found on Marlen-Haushofer-Weg in the Donaustadt district (Vienna's 22nd district). The car was burning on the territory of a residential complex; residents called firefighters around 0:30 a.m. on November 26. The victim's body was on the rear seat of the salon.

The victim was doused with gasoline (melted canister found) and the car set on fire. Kuzmin was likely alive at the time of ignition (posture indicates death struggle), but died on the spot from severe injuries, blood loss, and burns (asphyxiated by his own blood, plus severe skull injuries and severe burns).

On the night of November 26, residents noticed the burning car and called for help. Firefighters found the already burned body; identification was done based on remaining teeth (face severely burned) and DNA tests.

The second suspect in Danylo Kuzmin's murder is Oleksandr Agoev (Ukrainian: Олександр Агоєв, also written as Aleksandr Agoev or Oleksandr Agoiev), a 45-year-old Ukrainian citizen from Odesa, former high-ranking Odesa customs officer.

Born on April 14, 1980; until 1997 he bore the surname Krasnozhon (after his father), then took his mother's.

Parents: Vladimir Krasnozhon (1957) and Tatjana Agoeva (1960), live in Odesa.

In some unofficial sources, possible previous domestic incidents are mentioned, including violence in the family, against animals or children, but this is not officially confirmed and based on anonymous sources.

He, together with the 19-year-old Bogdan Rynzhuk, planned and carried out the attack, torture, and murder to gain access to cryptocurrency wallets (stolen approximately $200,000 USD).

He was the dominant figure in the criminal group, actively participated in murder planning, brutal beating, murder, and trace concealment by setting the car on fire.

He was detained in Ukraine (Odesa) on the evening of November 29, 2025, together with Rynzhuk, after returning from Austria (via Hungary or Romania).

A large sum of money was found on them — approximately $90,000 USD from the stolen cryptocurrency.

The investigation is currently being conducted in Ukraine; the court has applied temporary arrest (up to 40 days or more), but the possible extradition of the detainees to Austria is being considered to minimize corruption risks.

This is one of the most brutal and high-profile murders in Austria's recent history, causing shock in both Austria and Ukraine. The investigation confirmed the motive was cryptocurrency theft — the victim carelessly shared information about family assets.