A shocking and brutal murder in Vienna has raised international attention after authorities revealed that 21-year-old Danilo Kuzmin, the son of the deputy mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine, was burned alive after being pressured into transferring a large amount of cryptocurrency.
Kuzmin’s body was discovered in the back seat of his father’s Mercedes under a bridge in Vienna. He had suffered severe blunt force trauma, including head injuries and broken teeth. He ultimately died from suffocation or heat shock caused by the fire. His body was burned across approximately 80 percent of its surface.
Investigators believe Kuzmin was lured to a luxury hotel garage, where he was beaten, forced into his own car, and left trapped as the attackers set the vehicle on fire. A petrol canister was discovered inside the Mercedes, which runs on diesel. This confirmed that the fire was deliberately set.
CCTV footage reportedly shows the moment the car burned with Kuzmin still inside.
Two suspects, a 19-year-old student and a 45-year-old man, both Ukrainian, have been arrested after fleeing to Ukraine. Authorities say a large cryptocurrency transfer was made from Kuzmin’s wallet shortly before his death. The exact amount has not been disclosed.
Austria has committed to assisting Ukraine in the prosecution, and Austrian investigators continue to work on uncovering the full motive and sequence of events.
This devastating case highlights the dangers of targeted attacks linked to digital assets, and the tragic cost paid by one young student.
Comments
Post a Comment