--- title: "\"MasterChef\" Instead of Hospital: SBI Serves Notice of Suspicion to UAF Officer Over 250,000 Hryvnias" description: "The SBI has served a notice of suspicion to UAF senior lieutenant and \"MasterChef\" participant Viktoriia Kuznetsova: according to investigators, she filmed the show while on sick leave, costing the state about 250,000 hryvnias." date: 2026-11-06T15:07:32.172Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sbi-suspicion-uaf-officer-mastershef-250-thousand-hryvnias tags: [mastershef-ukraine, dbr, vsu, military-corruption, tv-show, ukraine] author: "Roman V." publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "MasterChef" Instead of Hospital: SBI Serves Notice of Suspicion to UAF Officer Over 250,000 Hryvnias ![MasterChef show participant in a white apron cooks in a kitchen guarded by SBI officers in balaclavas](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/06/dbr-podozrenie-oficeru-vsu-mastershef-250-tysyach-griven/dbr-podozrenie-oficeru-vsu-mastershef-250-tysyach-griven-1.webp) ## Key Points - The SBI served a notice of suspicion to UAF senior lieutenant and "MasterChef" participant Viktoriia Kuznetsova. - According to the investigation, in April–August 2025 she was formally on inpatient treatment but actually filmed the show in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa Oblast. - The command of the 15th Transport Aviation Brigade continued to pay her allowance; state damage is estimated at nearly 250,000 hryvnias. - The military unit confirmed Kuznetsova's service and an internal investigation following the show's promo release. - The investigation is conducted by the SBI jointly with the SBU, with procedural guidance from the Darnytsia Specialized Defense Prosecutor's Office. 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. ## Fact-Check & Sources - ["МастерШеф" вместо лечения в госпитале: ДБР сообщило о подозрении военной из-за 250 тысяч гривен](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/people/mastershef-zamist-likuvannya-shpitali-dbr-1793975334.html) - Primary source: details on treatment period (April–August 2025), filming (May–August 2025), locations (Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa Oblast), damage amount (~250k UAH), two Criminal Code articles, comments from the 15th Transport Aviation Brigade, roles of SBI, SBU, and Darnytsia Prosecutor's Office. - [Приняла участие в кулинарном шоу вместо лечения в госпитале: ГБР объявило подозрение офицеру ВСУ](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/life/_prinyala-uchastie-v-kulinarnom-shou-vmesto-lecheniya-v-gospitale-gbr-ob-yavilo-podozrenie-oficeru-vsu/1261734) - Confirms the issuance of a suspicion notice to a UAF senior lieutenant participating in "MasterChef" recordings during alleged inpatient treatment; indicates her age as 27 and the show's 16th season. ## FAQ ### Who specifically was served a notice of suspicion? The notice of suspicion was served to Viktoriia Kuznetsova, a UAF senior lieutenant and participant in the culinary show "MasterChef", who, according to the 15th Transport Aviation Brigade's press service, serves in that unit. ### What is the essence of the suspicion? According to the SBI, between April and August 2025, Kuznetsova was formally on inpatient treatment but actually absent from the hospital and participating in show recordings, while the command continued paying her allowance. Damage to the state is estimated at nearly 250,000 hryvnias. ### Did the military unit confirm these facts? Yes. The 15th Transport Aviation Brigade confirmed Kuznetsova's service, stated that she was registered for treatment in a Dnipro hospital during filming, and noted that after the promo video release, an internal investigation was conducted and its materials were handed over to the SBI. ### Is Kuznetsova guilty of the incriminated actions? Under the Constitution of Ukraine, she is considered innocent until her guilt is proven by a court's conviction. At this stage, she has only been served a notice of suspicion.