According to Antikor, well-known Ukrainian journalist Yevhen Plinsky posted information on his Telegram channel about the planning of his assassination by the owners of the Russian Pin-UP, Dmitriy Punin, his wife Marina Ilina, and Igor Zotko. Today, we decided to publish several relevant documents.
“I want to inform my followers and subscribers about the events regarding the evil plans of the owners of the Russian Pin-UP Company to torture and beat me for covering their illegal activities in Ukraine as a journalist. During the official hearings of the case of the owner of UkrGameTechnology LLC (UGT, PIN-UP.UA brand), Igor Zotko, at the Pecherskyi Court, in order to apply a measure of restraint, a prosecutor of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine presented information extracted from his phone. It was revealed that Igor Zotko, Marina Ilina, and her husband, Dmitriy Punin, were planning a murderous assault in April 2024,” writes Yevhen Plinsky.
Based on this information, the journalist’s lawyers have prepared a corresponding appeal to the State Bureau of Investigation. After reviewing the appeal, on February 25, the State Bureau of Investigation registered criminal case no. 62025000000000217 in accordance with Part 1, Article 345-1 (“Threats of murder, violence, destruction or impairment of property made in respect of a journalist, or his close relatives in connection with his official duties”).
Yevhen Plinsky also posted more information on the preparation of the assassination attempt.
“In addition to beating me, Marina Ilina suggested that the perpetrators torture me in order to obtain information about the sources of information, the circle of contacts in the gaming business, and to find potential beneficiaries of my activities.
Igor Zotko proposed a different concept. His idea was to divert suspicion from the gaming industry during the process and make it look like the actions of representatives of the tobacco industry. In order to implement his plans, he offered to cover me with a lot of cigarettes after the attack,” writes Yevhen Plinsky.
“I believe that this information, apart from the legal importance, must necessarily reach the financial institutions of Cyprus and Punin and Ilina’s partners among European businessmen, so that they understand what these people can do if you cross their path and try to tell them the truth about Pin-UP,” the journalist notes.
According to media reports, Ukrainian law enforcement authorities detained Igor Zotko, who is the owner of a company that operated in Ukraine under the PIN-UP online casino brand. Law enforcement officers consider him to be the figurehead owner.
The real owners of a commercial structure under the PIN-UP brand, which has received a license to organize online gambling, are Russians, and the main beneficiary is Dmitriy Punin (owner of Pin-Up Global and founder of PUNIN Group), who lives in Cyprus and whom Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have put on the wanted list.
Dmitriy Punin is accused of organizing the operation of the illegal Pin-Up online casino, as well as of close ties with Russia. In 2024, $72 million was frozen in the company’s accounts in Ukraine.
In addition, Punin owns a number of businesses in Cyprus, including Punin Wine, Zante Venue by Punin, Toy Confectionery by Punin, Prive Aesthetic by Punin, and The Shawarma by Punin. As of now, he is wanted only on the territory of Ukraine, but extradition is possible because Cyprus has previously extradited suspects to Ukraine.