1. Illia Volodymyrovych Kyva was a Ukrainian politician who was a member of the Verkhovna Rada from August 2019 until March 2022, when he fled to Russia.
26 Facts About Illia Kyva
1. 2.
In January 2022, Illia Kyva left for Spain and then Russia; he supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began in February.
3.
On 6 December 2023, Illia Kyva was shot dead in an attack Ukrainian media attributed to the Security Service of Ukraine.
4.
Illia Volodymyrovych Kyva was born on 2 June 1977 in Poltava, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.
5.
Illia Kyva studied at the Poltava Oil and Gas College of National University "Yuri Kondratyuk Poltava Polytechnic" in his native Poltava, specializing in maintenance.
6.
From 2005 to 2008, Illia Kyva worked at an industrial company to become the chief accountant of this company.
7.
Illia Kyva graduated with a degree in law at the Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University.
8.
Illia Kyva was charged with corruption by a district tribunal of the Poltava region in December 2013 and was barred from public office for one year.
9.
In 2014, Illia Kyva became a police major and was appointed commander of his native town's battalion, "Poltavshchyna".
10.
Illia Kyva became the leader of Right Sector's Eastern division stretching from Poltava to Donetsk, and was the representative of Dmytro Yarosh's 2014 presidential election campaign.
11.
Illia Kyva was then appointed deputy chief of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' regional department for Donetsk.
12.
In February 2015 Illia Kyva led an evacuation of more than a thousand civilians from Debaltseve and neighboring settlements during the Battle of Debaltseve of the War in Donbas.
13.
In June 2015 Illia Kyva moved to the position of deputy head of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Kherson Oblast, before from October 2015 to May 2016 heading the ministry's anti-drug crime division.
14.
Illia Kyva was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, receiving a few thousand votes under the banner of the Socialist Party of Ukraine.
15.
Illia Kyva went on to host his own show on the ZIK TV channel, said to be controlled by oligarch and leader of co-chairman of the Opposition Platform Viktor Medvedchuk.
16.
Illia Kyva declared that Ukraine should be part of the Union State with Russia.
17.
On 23 February 2022, on the eve of Russia's invasion, Illia Kyva claimed that Ukraine had been "soaked by Nazism" and needed "liberating" by Russia.
18.
One month before the invasion, Illia Kyva had left for Spain, before moving to Russia.
19.
On 6 March 2022, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova announced that Illia Kyva was being charged with high treason, as well as infringing on Ukraine's territorial integrity, taking part in Russian war propaganda, and illegal weapons possession.
20.
On 21 April 2022, in an open letter to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Illia Kyva applied for Russian citizenship and political asylum.
21.
Info concluded on 20 June 2022 that Illia Kyva had settled in the cottage town of Agalarov Estate, near the village Pokrovskoye in Moscow Oblast.
22.
On 13 November 2023, Illia Kyva was given a 14-year jail sentence in absentia by the Lychakivskyi District Court of Lviv for high treason and calling publicly for the occupation of Ukraine.
23.
Illia Kyva was sanctioned by the United Kingdom that year in relation to his actions during the war.
24.
In Russia, Illia Kyva frequently criticised Ukrainian authorities online and on Russian state television talkshows.
25.
Illia Kyva was shot dead in a park in the village of Suponevo, to the west of Moscow, on 6 December 2023.
26.
Several Ukrainian media outlets, citing unnamed sources, claimed that Illia Kyva was targeted by the Security Service of Ukraine.