Police investigate kidnapping of Ukrzaliznytsia senior employee

The investigation department of Kyiv's Solomyansky police station of the National Police has launched an investigation into the kidnapping of head of the electrification department at PJSC Ukrzaliznytsia railway company Valeriy Liudmirsky.

Information about the incident was included into the National Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Part 2, Article 146 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal deprivation of freedom or kidnapping).

The pre-trial investigation is under way.

Head of Ukrzaliznytsia's information policy and PR department Daniel Wachowski wrote on Facebook that the company's security department was closely working with the law-enforcement agencies to find the missing employee as soon as possible.

"According to preliminary assessment, we connect the kidnapping with professional activity. Electrification of the railways means multimillion contracts which attract companies with criminal ties," Wachowski wrote.

According to media reports, Liudmirsky was kidnapped while walking a dog near his house in Kyiv at nearly 21:10 Kyiv time on Monday. The dog was shot – the police found five shot shells on the site.

Infrastructure Minister Volodymyr Omelyan in turn said he hoped that the police would be able to establish Liudmirsky's whereabouts soon after.