Filming has begun on the Kyivstar TV platform for the six-episode Original series "Bolotnyk," a detective drama with psychological thriller elements. RBC-Ukraine reported this, citing the platform's press service. The project's premiere is scheduled for 2027. The series will be the second joint Original project between Kyivstar TV and the SFERA FILM production company, following "Tyna Nava," which critics and viewers call one of the most notable Ukrainian series projects of 2026.
Plot: A Disappearance That Changes Everything
The central event of the series is the mysterious disappearance of several young women in the small village of Ocheretne. Journalism student Daria Melnyk goes there to prepare a report on the missing persons. However, when Daria suddenly disappears herself, her father—former military man Pavlo Melnyk—arrives in the village to search for his daughter. Immersing himself in the secrets of a closed community where, according to the creators, "everyone has something to hide," Melnyk encounters the eerie story of a maniac nicknamed "Bolotnyk," whom some locals consider a mythical swamp spirit. The boundary between ancient legends and real crimes in the plot gradually blurs, turning a criminal investigation into a story about guilt, loss, and the attempt to return to life after surviving a tragedy.
Creative Team and Cast
The director of "Bolotnyk" is Oleksandr Kyriienko, the director of photography is Serhii Revutskyi, and the screenwriting is by Andrii Vyshtak. The project producers are Anna Honchar and Dmytro Safanovskyi, and production is handled by SFERA FILM. The cast brings together representatives of different generations of Ukrainian cinema, theater, and television: the series stars Oleksandr Kobzar, Kostiantyn Oktiabrskyi, Serhii Derevianko, Mariia Vishevska, Kateryna Varchenko, Ostap Stupka, Slava Babenkov, Ihor Koltovskyi, and other actors.
Continuing the Focus on Fast-Paced Detective Stories
"We are consistently developing our own serial production at Kyivstar TV and investing in Ukrainian stories that can captivate the viewer from the first minutes and keep them in suspense until the finale. Following 'Tyna Nava,' we are continuing to develop the direction of fast-paced detectives and psychological thrillers," comments Nataliia Panchenko, Content Strategy Director at Kyivstar TV. Producer Anna Honchar adds that the audience's response to 'Tyna Nava'—its atmosphere, visual language, and multi-layered nature—confirmed the Ukrainian audience's readiness for bold genre projects that go beyond familiar formats.
Platform and Accessibility
Kyivstar TV is a joint project between Kyivstar and 1+1 media, founded on December 11, 2019. The platform includes over 430 TV channels and a VOD library of 20,000 films, series, cartoons, and shows. Content is accessible on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, and via the web version in a browser; authorization requires only a phone number from any mobile operator or internet service provider. Previously, the platform released the Original series "Tyna Nava" and "Mii novyi bereh," while "Bolotnyk" will be the next major exclusive release in the lineup.
