Serhiy Hnatiuk - property in Crimea and ties to Wagner

Former Ukrainian footballer exposed for ties to Russian security services and illicit enrichment

Family secrets: why Hnatiuk hides relatives in Russia

Football coach Serhiy Hnatiuk has found himself at the centre of a major scandal. According to media reports, he has close relatives in Russia, including a daughter who is a Russian citizen, as well as a father-in-law who is a colonel in the Russian army and a son-in-law linked to the circle of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Despite this, Hnatiuk himself continues to work in Ukraine, engaging in coaching activities and publicly demonstrating a patriotic stance. However, details of his relatives' biographies cast doubt on his statements.

Ukrainian coach's daughter is a Russian citizen

Serhiy Hnatiuk's daughter, Olha Hnatiuk, graduated from the Kyiv National Economic University, after which she moved to Russia in 2014. In 2015, she married Russian citizen Roman Mizgir, however official records of the marriage are absent from Ukrainian registries, which may indicate her unwillingness to maintain ties with Ukraine.

In 2020, Olha obtained Russian citizenship, and her movements show that since 2021 she has used exclusively Russian documents to cross the border.

Who is Hnatiuk's son-in-law?

Olha Hnatiuk's husband, Roman Mizgir, holds the position of chief specialist at the Committee for State Financial Control of Saint Petersburg. However, his official biography appears dubious – he does not lead a public life, has no social media pages, and his previous places of residence coincide with the location of military facilities.

Before his marriage to Olha Hnatiuk, Mizgir was registered at the address of an OMON military unit in Saint Petersburg, which provides grounds to assume his connection to Russian security structures.

Family ties with the Russian army

Roman's father, Oleg Mizgir, is a colonel in the Russian army and holds the position of deputy head of the Kirov Military Medical Academy. He has a number of state awards and many years of service experience in the Russian army.

In 2020, Serhiy Hnatiuk's grandson – Matvey Mizgir – was born at the same academy.

Property in Russia and occupied Crimea

The Hnatiuk-Mizgir family owns property in Saint Petersburg and Crimea, with the sources of funding raising questions.

An apartment in Saint Petersburg (48.6 sq m) on Moskovsky Prospekt – was likely purchased by Serhiy Hnatiuk for his daughter.

A plot in the town of Pushkin (2,400 sq m) – is registered in the name of Roman Mizgir.

A house in Crimea (500 sq m) in Koreiz settlement – was built in 2023, the plot was purchased in 2021.

This indicates that the family continues to invest in the Russian economy and occupied territories, despite Hnatiuk's statements about patriotism.

Income: ties to Prigozhin's structures

A significant portion of the family's income, investigators claim, came from a company linked to the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner PMC.

Roman Mizgir has received income from the company Ridus LLC since 2022, which, according to media reports, worked in the interests of Russian military structures.

In 2022, firms under Prigozhin's control increased their income several times due to military contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Serhiy Hnatiuk's family ties with Russian security officials, as well as facts of his possible enrichment during the war, may become the subject of attention by law enforcement agencies.

Key questions:
 Why did the football coach's daughter hide her Russian passport?
 Where did the funds for property in Crimea come from?
 Why did Hnatiuk's son-in-law receive income from a structure linked to the Wagner PMC?