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Murder on the funicular: prosecutors request life imprisonment for the accused

Murder on the funicular: prosecutors request life imprisonment for the accused

15 September 2025, 18:44

Murder on the funicular: prosecutors request life imprisonment for the accused — photo: The accused Artem Kosov in the courtroom and the deceased 16-year-old Maksym Materukhin (UNN, social networks)

Prosecutors demand that Artem Kosov be sentenced to life imprisonment in the case of the murder of 15-year-old Maksym Materukhin.

"Cynicism. Lack of remorse. No regret whatsoever. That is exactly what I saw in the defendant during today's court session in the case of Maxim Materukhin's murder," wrote Ruslan Kravchenko, the Prosecutor General.

As Kravchenko noted, during the interrogation, witnesses confirmed: Kosovo's actions were intentional. This was also supported by the findings of comprehensive forensic, medico-criminalistic, and traceological examinations. Experts established that the bodily injuries sustained by Maxim resulted from deliberate actions of the defendant. Kosovo's version of an accidental fall is ruled out.

The prosecution requests the court to find Kosovo guilty of committing a crime under paragraph 7 of part 2 of article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and to sentence him to life imprisonment.

"I believe this is the only possible punishment, the one that is closest to justice. But full justice is absent and cannot be achieved here. Max lost the most valuable — his life," emphasized Kravchenko.

On April 8, 2024, Artem Kosovo was notified of suspicion of intentional murder of a minor. As established by the investigation, the incident occurred at the upper station of the funicular leading to the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.

Kosov, being intoxicated, started bothering a group of teenagers and pushed a 16-year-old boy. He fell, shattered a glass with his head, and received a fatal neck wound. The young man bled out within minutes before the arrival of the ambulance. The victim was Maxim Materukhin, who was studying in 10-A class at Kyiv School No. 36. Seven teenagers who witnessed the tragic incident testified.

The investigation was conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation, as at the time of the crime, the suspect was serving in the State Security Department.

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