Main points
- Igor Komarov, the boyfriend of blogger Eva Mishalova, was kidnapped in Bali, and his kidnappers allegedly demanded $10 million for his release.
- On March 3, DNA testing confirmed that the DNA samples of Igor Komarov's mother matched those found in the villa and in the car where the victim was likely being held.
Eva Mishalova and Igor Komarov / Channel 24 Collage
In recent weeks, the names of blogger Eva Mishalova and her boyfriend Igor Komarov have been appearing most frequently on the Internet. The couple went on a two-month vacation to Bali, but their romantic getaway turned into a terrible tragedy.
- 1 Igor Komarov was kidnapped in Bali – what is known about this?
- 2 What is the reaction of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to the alleged kidnapping of two citizens?
- 3 Dismembered body and DNA results
It all started when in February, a video message from Igor, whose face was bruised, was published on Telegram channels, in which he reported that he had been taken to another country, and that a “very serious organization” was allegedly involved in organizing the kidnapping. 24 Channel will tell the details of the case, as well as the first results of the police investigation.
Igor Komarov was kidnapped in Bali – what is known about this?
In the video, the man said that his limbs had been cut off, he suffered numerous injuries, and also asked for $10 million – the kidnappers allegedly demanded exactly that amount of money for his release.
According to Komarov, the video was recorded on February 19.
Then rumors spread online that Igor was the son of a criminal authority, and that Chechens were involved in his kidnapping. At the same time, it was said that another kidnapping had taken place. The victim was probably Yermak Petrovsky, according to unofficial information, he managed to escape.
After some time, a second video of Komarov appeared. There, he spoke about the work of fraudulent call centers that deceived Russian citizens, noting that he and Yermak Petrovsky had been the owners of one of such centers since 2021.
These call centers, according to the man, operated under the “cover” of certain individuals and officials, in particular Oleksandr Petrovsky. Also, according to Komarov, security for the call centers was provided by SBU officers and the current head of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Serhiy Lysak.
Yermak Petrovsky himself appears in the case of the armed attack in Dnipro.
At the time, this story was ambiguous for the public. It was assumed that the scandal was fabricated and was being used as a tool to promote the profile of blogger Eva Mishalova.
It should be noted that Eva has not yet been contacted about this matter. However, her sister Esti did it instead. She wrote that the girl is “very difficult” right now and asks not to be disturbed at such a time.
Eva Mishalova's sister commented on the kidnapping of the girl's boyfriend / Screenshot from Instagram stories
A new video of the man emerged on February 22. At this time, the information about the kidnapping has not been confirmed by any relevant services.
In the video, Igor turned to Eva and asked her not to believe the rumors that he was dead.
No one will find me. I beg you, I need medical help. I'm starting to get infected. Talk to your family. No one is going to kill me. Time is very, very short,
– says Igor Komarov in the video.
Komarov showed off his bandaged limb and said to give the kidnapper the money, because not a single cent had been deposited into the account yet.
Two days after the publication of the aforementioned video, police in Bali conducted a search for the allegedly kidnapped 28-year-old Igor Komarov. According to law enforcement officers, the raid was carried out using cars and motorcycles in order to restrict the movement of the kidnappers.
According to the results of the work, “no traces of the kidnappers who fled to Gianyar were found.”
On February 25, Kompas reported that the head of the Bali Police Public Relations Department made a statement that the South Kuta District Police were notified of the incident on the evening of Sunday, February 15. The complainant was Igor's friend, not his girlfriend Eva.
According to him, Komarov and two friends were practicing riding motorcycles on rough terrain. On the way, one of the friends noticed that Igor and his friend had disappeared. He learned that they had allegedly been attacked by unknown people. Komarov's friend tried to find his friend on his own, but found only his mobile phone, bag and wallet.
Eva Mishalova and Igor Komarov / Photo from the blogger's Instagram
Note that the girl disabled the ability to comment on videos and photos on her Instagram page, specifically under the content from Bali.
What is the reaction of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to the alleged kidnapping of two citizens?
The press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that there was no official confirmation from local authorities. The statement says that when the videos with Igor were distributed online, no statements were received from relatives, law enforcement agencies, or other institutions.
Diplomats sent inquiries to other local agencies and contacted the lawyer of the alleged victim, who stated that his client had left Indonesia.
Regarding the second husband, no information was received either.
Dismembered body and DNA examination results
On February 27, local press reported that a dismembered body had been found on the island. At the time of the inspection, police were unable to identify the victim.
The statement said investigators were working with the Ukrainian consulate to collect DNA samples “from the mother of a Ukrainian citizen with the initials I.K.” This is likely Igor Komarov.
However, perhaps the most important detail is that the man had tattoos on his body. At the scene of the crime, investigators discovered a tattoo in the form of a Roman clock on the victim's arm.
The place where the dismembered body was found / Photo Dok. Polres Gianyar
The medical examiner said the victim had been dead for more than three days. However, the forensic team was unable to make a visual identification due to the decomposition of the body parts. They were also unable to determine gender, so they were awaiting requests from the police for an external examination, autopsy and DNA analysis.
On March 3, DNA testing confirmed that DNA samples from the mother of Ukrainian Igor Komarov matched traces found at the villa and in the car that was likely used to transport the victim.
Law enforcement officials believe the victim was taken to the villa and possibly held captive and tortured. Investigators also found an Avanza near the villa, where they found traces of blood.
The police were to send tissue samples from the body parts found earlier for forensic examination to the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta for DNA analysis.
It is known that law enforcement officers are searching for six foreign citizens who currently have the status of suspects in this case.
Eva Mishalova's sister recorded a video that will be released as a vlog on YouTube the other day and noted that she learned “about those terrible events” from the press.
Eva Mishalova's sister recorded a video: watch the video online
There are no other details of the case at this time. It is expected that the police will release reports from other examinations, possibly be able to detain suspects in the case, and file the first charges.