Brother of Zelenskyy’s adviser Podoliak, who fought on side of Russian Federation in Zaporizhzhia, has been killed – Killed in Ukraine project. PHOTO
In the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region, the elder brother of Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the President of Ukraine – Colonel Volodymyr Podoliak of the Russian Army, who was fighting on the side of the Russian Federation – was killed in action. He was killed as early as 19 May 2024, but the circumstances of his death have only now come to light.
This was reported by the research project Killed in Ukraine (KIU), citing a data leak from Rosstat, according to Censor.NET.
What is known about the killing of Mykhailo Podoliak’s brother
According to the published data, 59-year-old Volodymyr Podoliak died on 19 May 2024 in the occupied town of Kyrylivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.
The cause of death of the Russian colonel was an intracranial injury sustained as a result of combat operations. The documents do not specify who exactly inflicted the fatal injury.
KIU researchers discovered Volodymyr Podoliak’s grave back in June 2024. The date of death was indicated on the cross, but at that time the circumstances of his death remained unknown.
In the portrait by the grave, Podoliak is depicted in the uniform of a Russian Army colonel. On his chest are two Orders of Courage, a badge ‘For Service in Military Intelligence’ and other decorations.
Next to the grave, researchers noticed a wreath bearing the inscription "From the CPS team". They speculate that the abbreviation may stand for the Russian GRU’s Specialist Training Centre.
What Mykhailo Podoliak said about his brother
Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, had previously acknowledged his elder brother’s links to the Russian security services.
However, in 2021, in an interview with Ukrainian journalists, he insisted that his brother had long since completed his military service.
"He has long been an ordinary military pensioner," Mykhailo Podoliak said at the time.
The adviser to the President of Ukraine has not yet commented publicly on his brother’s death or the circumstances surrounding it.
