On August 31, 2026, the Ukrainian media space was filled with reports of a grave tragedy in the family of Vyacheslav Grabov — the winner of the tenth season of the TV show 'Zvazheni ta Shchaslivi' (the Ukrainian version of the project known worldwide as 'The Biggest Loser'). The incident was publicly disclosed by Maryna Borzhemska, the project's trainer, who posted a statement on Instagram. According to her, a "terrible tragedy" has struck the participant's family: his parents and younger brother died tragically, and Vyacheslav himself was in the hospital at the time of the post. The trainer emphasized that Grabov "really needs our help and support" right now.
What the project's trainer said
In her statement, Maryna Borzhemska turned to her followers with a "very heavy request." "Friends, today I am reaching out to you with a very heavy request. A terrible tragedy has happened in the family of Slava, a participant of the project 'Zvazheni ta Shchaslivi,' the finalist and winner of season 10. His parents and younger brother died tragically. Slava himself is now in the hospital," Styler quotes her, citing a video on Instagram. The trainer acknowledged that it is "hard even to imagine what he is going through right now" and asked everyone who is able to contribute to the open fundraising. According to her, the money is needed, in particular, to organize the funerals of his relatives and to cover other expenses that arose after the tragedy. She separately urged those who cannot help financially to write Vyacheslav "a few warm words" so that he "feels he is not alone."
Circumstances: police data
After the trainer's post, users began discussing the possible circumstances of the death of Grabov's relatives, and some commentators linked the event to the high-profile incident in Odesa on August 29. According to police, in one of the apartment buildings in the Kyiv district of Odesa, a 50-year-old man opened fire with a hunting rifle. As a result of the shooting, his parents were killed, and his brother was wounded and hospitalized. After that, the man barricaded himself inside the apartment, and when police arrived on the scene, he shot himself. Following the incident, investigators entered the details into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations under the article of the Criminal Code of Ukraine on the intentional murder of two or more people.
Contradictory data
It is important to note that Maryna Borzhemska herself did not specify in her statement under exactly what circumstances Vyacheslav Grabov's relatives died, nor did she name the date or location of the incident. The link between her statement and the Odesa incident of August 29 was proposed primarily by users in the comments, based on a coincidence of details (Odesa, the death of the parents, a wounded brother, the hospitalization of Grabov himself), and was not directly confirmed by the trainer or the family. Moreover, there is a nuance in the wording: the trainer says that the "younger brother" died, whereas in the police summary it is the shooter's "brother" who is listed as wounded and hospitalized, and the 50-year-old man himself took his own life. The combination of these versions suggests that the 50-year-old shooter is probably Vyacheslav's brother, however, a final identification of the participants in the incident has not been given in the trainer's public statements. Until official confirmation by the investigation or the family, these circumstances should be regarded as a probable but not fully verified version.
Who is Vyacheslav Grabov
Vyacheslav Grabov is 42 years old; he lives in Odesa and runs his own small construction business, which he develops together with a friend; after the start of the full-scale war, he also became actively involved in volunteering. He came to the project 'Zvazheni ta Shchaslivi' weighing 195 kg at a height of 178 cm. He had previously practiced kickboxing, however, poor nutrition, overeating, and the habit of eating late in the evening led to a significant weight gain. According to Grabov himself, "eating for company" and late-night snacking became so habitual that he could no longer get rid of these habits on his own, and he saw participation in the show as an opportunity to radically change his life. His family gave him special motivation: because of the war, his wife and children had been in evacuation for a long time, and he dreamed that his son and daughter would see him after the weight loss and be proud of their dad. Initially, he planned to lose 60–100 kg, but he exceeded his own goal: during his participation in the project he lost 104 kg and became the winner of the tenth season. After the show, he continued to work on himself and to run an Instagram page, where he shares his weight-loss experience and motivates his followers.
Fundraising and a call for support
Against the backdrop of the tragedy, a fundraising has been opened for Vyacheslav Grabov: according to Maryna Borzhemska, "any amount is very important right now," and the funds will go, among other things, to organizing the funerals of his relatives and covering other expenses. The trainer assured that the project team and the viewers are "by the side" of the participant: "Slava, we are all with you. Please hold on." At the time of preparing this material, the family and the investigation had not published any additional official comments, and the circumstances of the incident remain a subject of discussion and verification.
