A 27-year-old officer of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who participated in the sixteenth season of the cooking show “MasterChef,” is suspected of evading military duty during a special period. According to the investigation, the senior lieutenant, who held the position of navigator in the aviation squadron of the transport brigade, allegedly spent over four months in inpatient treatment in 2025. Meanwhile, investigators claim that she was actually in Kyiv and participated in television filming.
This is reported by Finway
Suspicion and Investigation
Reports from the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv indicate that the suspect, who is a native of Kolomyia in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, continued to receive monetary compensation, bonuses, and allowances for May to August 2025. The investigation believes that this caused material damage to the military unit. The court allowed investigators to access mobile operator data to establish the officer’s actual location during the specified period.
Criminal Responsibility and Case Details
A criminal proceeding has been opened under part 4 of Article 409 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — concerning evasion of military service through deception during a special period. If found guilty, the suspect faces a prison sentence of five to ten years.
From open sources, it is known that the circumstances of the case may relate to Victoria Kuznetsova — a participant in the 16th season of “MasterChef.” She was born in Kolomyia, lived in Kharkiv for a long time, and has been serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a navigator since 2015.
“On the project, the girl positioned herself as a former military officer and dreamed of opening her own bakery with the concept of ‘bread, butter, and coffee.'”
The case is officially being investigated by law enforcement, and investigative actions are ongoing to establish all the circumstances.