Today, March 25, the Kyiv Court of Appeal held the third hearing on the appeal of Artem Kosov. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of teenager Maksym Materukhin at a funicular station in the capital. The court did not grant the appeal, and the sentence remained unchanged.
A correspondent for Suspilny reported this from the courtroom.
Kosov asked that his sentence be changed: life imprisonment — to Article 119 of the Criminal Code. This is manslaughter, the punishment for which is 3-5 years of imprisonment or restriction of liberty.
Sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Maksym Materukhin at the funicular station Artem Kosov during a hearing of the appeal court. Kyiv, March 25, 2026. Social News/Lilia Honcharuk
The court is currently re-examining the evidence, as decided at the previous hearing. In particular, they reviewed videos from telegrams of passengers who were in the funicular car that day.
“You can hear in the video that I used obscenity, I apologize for that. But there are no threats there. And as it says in the verdict: 'I will beat you' – that's not there,” Kosov said.
“You can hear him addressing my son and saying, 'Get out,'” said the deceased boy's father, Oleksandr Materukhin.
“The teenagers were laughing, but they behaved normally. But Kosov's behavior confirms a hooligan motive. You can hear Kosov saying, 'I can put everyone down in 6 seconds,'” said the lawyer for the family of the deceased, Maksym Materukhin.
Free listeners with portraits of Maksym Materukhin at a session of the Court of Appeal, during which the appeal against the sentence of Artem Kosov is being considered, Kyiv, March 25, 2026. Social News/Lila Honcharuk
Next, they reviewed the video from the surveillance cameras from inside the funicular. After that, the judge read the medical examination report. In particular, the guy had a cut wound to his neck, a wound measuring 10 by 16 centimeters and a depth of three and a half centimeters. Death occurred almost immediately.
During the debate, the defendant's defense attorney said that this was too harsh a punishment. Kosov also asked that documents about his health after the tragedy be included in the case. In particular, it says that he has a bruised elbow and a traumatic brain injury.
“This is a very tragic circumstance, I am a human being, I am not a stone, I have compassion. The decision on the punishment was influenced by publicity, but it should be proportionate. The media made me a tough guy,” Kosov said.
Free listeners with portraits of Maksym Materukhin at a session of the Court of Appeal, during which the appeal against the sentence of Artem Kosov is being considered, Kyiv, March 25, 2026. Social News/Lila Honcharuk
In turn, the defense attorney for the deceased's family noted that this was “not an admission of guilt.”
“He says that the prosecutor general is to blame in this case, because he can't sit at work and comes to meetings. Also the media, because they go to courts and make a fuss. The accused acted in a state of alcoholic and drug intoxication. We ask that the appeal and the verdict be left unchanged,” said the lawyer for the deceased boy's family.
In his final words, Kosov noted that he understood the grief felt by the deceased's parents.
“I was a normal person for 30 years, and here they say that I wanted to kill. I also have a family, parents. My parents in this case also lose their son. If I had the opportunity, I would give them their son back. I am sorry that a person died,” Kosov said.
Free listeners with portraits of Maksym Materukhin at a session of the Court of Appeal, during which the appeal against the sentence of Artem Kosov is being considered, Kyiv, March 25, 2026. Social News/Lila Honcharuk
Maxim's father noted that Kosov's life sentence, of course, will not bring his son back. But he believes such a sentence is fair.
“Only one picture remains in my memory – his body in a coffin. Maxim was a bright child, with a kind heart, an open soul. He loved life. And he valued it very much. It is very difficult for me to watch videos and photos of Maxim. Especially where he is still small or with his younger brother. Because only in the photos his happy life remains. Imprisonment will not return the child to our family, but it is the only punishment that can give us a sense of justice,” said Oleksandr Materukhin during the court hearing.
“Unfortunately, he doesn't live nearby. It's just that sometimes I feel like he's somewhere nearby. Everything has changed. I just look at his friends and imagine him sitting nearby. It's difficult. Very difficult. They're all growing up. They've all gone somewhere. They're falling in love. They're enjoying life. And he's not. Today's decision, I believe, is nothing more, nothing less than what he deserves,” Maksym Materukhin's mother told a Suspilny correspondent.
Kosov may appeal the appeal decision The third instance court did not answer whether it will review the legality and validity of court verdicts and decisions that have entered into legal force .
What is known about the death of a teenager at the funicular station in Kyiv
On April 7, 2024, a young man died at a funicular station. According to eyewitnesses, after exiting the car at the upper station, a man pushed the teenager. He fell, smashed the glass with his head, received a fatal cut to his neck, and bled to death a few minutes before the ambulance arrived.
The deceased was Maksym Materukhin, who was a student in grade 10-A at the capital's school No. 36. Seven teenagers who witnessed the tragic incident gave testimony.
The State Bureau of Investigation opened a criminal case because the participant in the conflict with the teenager served as a driver in the State Security Department. The man was later charged with premeditated murder.
The SBI also denied information that the suspect was their former employee. At the time of the tragedy, he was not on duty and was in a state of alcohol intoxication.
On May 5, 2024, the SBI officers completed the pre-trial investigation into the death of a 16-year-old schoolboy at a funicular station in Kyiv, after which the case materials were handed over to the defense for review. On May 29, the indictment against the employee of the State Security Department Artem Kosov was submitted to the court. During the investigation, the SBI investigators established that the murder of the minor was committed for hooligan motives, for which he faces life imprisonment. The suspect did not admit his guilt.
During the hearing of the case in the Shevchenkivskyi District Court, witnesses were questioned and video footage was examined.
In September 2025, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv found former State Security Department employee Artem Kosov guilty of murdering teenager Maksym Materukhin at a funicular station. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
In October 2025, Artem Kosov, sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a teenager on a Kyiv funicular, appealed his sentence.