Viktoriia Kuznetsova, a participant in the culinary show "MasterChef" who serves in the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has received an official notice of suspicion from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). According to the investigation, between April and August 2025, the senior lieutenant was formally undergoing inpatient treatment at a military medical facility, but in reality, she spent most of her time outside the hospital—in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa Oblast—engaged in personal matters and participating in TV show recordings. Believing the officer was undergoing treatment, her military unit's command continued to pay her financial allowance. Investigators estimate that the state suffered losses of nearly 250,000 hryvnias as a result.
What is Known About the Suspicion
The investigation claims that project filming lasted from May to August 2025 and coincided with Kuznetsova's official inpatient treatment period. According to the SBI, the woman did not inform the military leadership about her participation in the show or her actual absence from the hospital. As a result, investigators believe financial allowances were paid during a period when the servicewoman was not actually receiving treatment. Kuznetsova has been served a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Military Unit's Commentary
The press service of the 15th Transport Aviation Brigade confirmed that Viktoriia Kuznetsova indeed serves in their unit. They reported that during the project's filming, the officer was officially listed as receiving treatment at a military hospital in the city of Dnipro and continued to receive her financial allowance. According to brigade representatives, after the release of the show's first promo video, the command initiated an internal investigation. "The materials of the internal investigation indicate that the servicewoman, while supposedly undergoing treatment at the Dnipro military hospital, actively participated in TV show recordings in Kyiv without notifying the military leadership in the established manner," the unit noted. All materials from the internal investigation were forwarded to the territorial SBI division.
Progress of the Investigation
The State Bureau of Investigation continues to establish all circumstances of the case and potential accomplices. In particular, investigators are checking whether officials at the military medical facility could have facilitated the paperwork for inpatient treatment without the officer actually staying at the hospital. According to the agency, the exposure was carried out in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). Procedural supervision is exercised by the Darnytsia Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office of the Central Region.
Legal Status
It should be noted that under current legislation and the Constitution of Ukraine, Viktoriia Kuznetsova is considered innocent until proven guilty by a court's conviction. Thus, at this stage, the matter concerns a served notice of suspicion rather than a court-confirmed violation.
