Investigated corruption during the construction of fortifications: journalist Oleksandr Takhtai was found dead in Sumy

Journalist and former editor of the newspaper “Yampilskyi Kray” Oleksandr Takhtai was found dead in Sumy. His body was found on the evening of September 5 in his own apartment.

This is reported by Leopolis.news .

The information about the journalist’s death was confirmed to “Suspilny” by the communications department of the Sumy regional police. According to law enforcement officers, Takhtai’s body was sent for forensic medical examination. It is she who should establish the exact cause of death.

Oleksandr Takhtai is a native of Yampil, former editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Yampilskyi Kray” and former deputy of the Yampil district council. He actively spoke out on social networks, publicly criticizing corruption in Ukraine and abuses among law enforcement officers. Takhtai also attracted close attention from the Ukrainian authorities after publishing information about people and companies that profited from the construction of defensive fortifications in the Sumy region.

In August 2025, the journalist reported a series of attacks on his property. According to him, shots were fired into the window of his dacha from an unknown weapon, and a smoke grenade with foreign markings was later found in the apartment. Takhtai himself then suggested that an SBU employee and a reserve officer might be involved in the incident. At the same time, the Security Service categorically denied these accusations, emphasizing that the named individuals did not work in their department.

The police have opened criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (“Hooliganism, gross violation of public order, accompanied by special audacity or exceptional cynicism”). As reported by the communications department of the Sumy regional police, as of September 6, a pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

The journalist also previously mentioned that back in 2016, his apartment was searched in connection with the explosion near the Sumy prosecutor’s office, but the seized items were later returned to him due to a lack of evidence.

By the way, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau will investigate the case of alleged fraud by the former leadership of the Poltava Regional Military Administration during the construction of fortifications for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Donetsk region, the cost of which was doubled, while the quality of the fortifications themselves did not meet the requirements.

The point is that in 2024, the Poltava Regional Military Administration received almost 400 million hryvnias for the construction of fortifications in the Donetsk region. However, instead of reliable protection for the military, only conditional structures appeared there – sticks, several pits and low-quality materials. Experts call this more of an imitation than a real fortification, unable to withstand modern weapons

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