{"id":617889,"date":"2026-09-22T14:25:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/09\/617889\/courts-work-miracles-the-young-man-who-cut-two-people-in-the-korabelnyi-district-avoided-punishment\/"},"modified":"2026-09-22T14:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:25:14","slug":"courts-work-miracles-the-young-man-who-cut-two-people-in-the-korabelnyi-district-avoided-punishment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/09\/617889\/courts-work-miracles-the-young-man-who-cut-two-people-in-the-korabelnyi-district-avoided-punishment\/","title":{"rendered":"Courts work miracles: the young man who cut two people in the Korabelnyi district avoided punishment"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Mykolaiv<\/strong> a multi-year court hearing concluded in the case of a bloody attack in the Korabelnyi district, which Korabelov.info wrote about back in 2016<\/strong>. At that time a 15-year-old Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> was detained after a 29-year-old Oleksiy Zhadik<\/strong> was inflicted with at least 25 stab wounds<\/strong>. Another conflict that night resulted in a different man receiving a knife wound.<\/p>\n

More than 10 years<\/strong> after the events, the Inhulskyi District Court of Mykolaiv<\/strong> found Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> guilty of attempted intentional murder and sentenced him to 9 years\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>. However, the man was released from serving this sentence: the statutory limitation period provided by law had expired. This is stated in the court verdict dated 7 September 2026<\/strong>. The verdict in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions<\/a><\/p>\n

A bloody night in Korabelnyi<\/h2>\n

The events took place on the night of 14 February 2016<\/strong> in the Korabelnyi district of Mykolaiv<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As established by the court, the minor Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> was on the street with an acquaintance. Before that the young men had been drinking alcohol. Later they walked toward what was then Oktiabrskyi Avenue, now Bohoyavlenskyi Avenue.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Near building No. 338<\/strong> they saw an unfamiliar man who was also intoxicated.<\/p>\n

According to circumstances found by the court, Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> approached the man from behind, knocked him to the ground, and then produced a folding knife with a blade about 11 centimeters<\/strong> long.<\/p>\n

The victim, Oleksiy Zhadik<\/strong>, received at least 25 stab wounds<\/strong>. The majority of the injuries were to the back; there were also wounds to the chest and the left buttock area.<\/p>\n

Medics found, in particular, penetrating chest wounds, lung damage, and a bilateral pneumothorax. Experts classified at least three<\/strong> penetrating wounds as severe bodily injuries that were life-threatening at the time they were inflicted.<\/p>\n

After the attack the man lost consciousness. He later regained consciousness and managed to get to the stairwell of acquaintances\u2019 apartment building, where he was given help. The victim was hospitalized and operated on.<\/p>\n

According to the court\u2019s conclusions, it was precisely the timely medical care that caused the man to survive.<\/p>\n

Already on 20 February 2016<\/strong> Korabelov.info reported<\/a> that the victim was found between the floors of the stairwell of building No. 338<\/strong> in a pool of blood, and because of lung damage he had to undergo emergency surgery. At that time the police detained a 15-year-old<\/strong> local resident, against whom the court imposed house arrest.<\/p>\n

The knife was used again that same night<\/h2>\n

The events of that night did not end there.<\/p>\n

An earlier Korabelov.info publication noted that in a neighboring yard near building No. 340\/2<\/strong> another man, 26 years old<\/strong>, received a knife wound after making a remark to the teenagers. At the initial stage of the investigation the police only checked the detained teenager\u2019s possible involvement in that episode.<\/p>\n

However, materials from the later trial describe that after the attack on Oleksiy Zhadik<\/strong> the young men came to another building, where a conflict with another man occurred. During that altercation Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> also used the knife and inflicted a wound to the man\u2019s buttock. Korabelov.info wrote about this in 2017<\/strong>, citing materials from the criminal proceedings.<\/p>\n

Important: the current conviction under Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine<\/strong> concerns the attempted intentional murder of Oleksiy Zhadik<\/strong>. The second knife episode appears in the case files and earlier publications, but it is not the crime for which the Inhulskyi District Court in 2026<\/strong> imposed 9 years\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The knife was buried in the Balabanivskyi Forest<\/h2>\n

After the events that night the young men went to their homes.<\/p>\n

The next day they met again and discussed what had happened. According to the case materials, they then decided to dispose of the knife.<\/p>\n

Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong>, together with acquaintances, went to the Balabanivskyi Forest, where the knife was buried in the ground.<\/p>\n

Later law enforcement officers found the weapon. When items were presented for identification, Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> identified that knife as his.<\/p>\n

Korabelov.info also reported about the knife buried in the Balabanivskyi Forest back in 2016<\/strong>, and in a piece dated 12 April 2017<\/strong> this circumstance was already cited as part of the evidence in the case.<\/p>\n

Witness: the victim was lying and screaming in pain<\/h2>\n

One of the minor witnesses who was with Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> that night gave testimony that significantly supported the prosecution\u2019s version.<\/p>\n

According to him, the accused approached the unfamiliar man, knocked him to the ground and began stabbing him. The victim lay on his side and screamed in pain. The witness counted more than 10 blows<\/strong> and, he said, tried to stop the attacker.<\/p>\n

After that the young men left the victim and walked away.<\/p>\n

The defendant did not admit guilt<\/h2>\n

During the new trial Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> did not admit guilt in the attempted murder.<\/p>\n

At the same time he confirmed part of the events of that night: he spoke about drinking alcohol, having a folding knife, and conflicts with the men.<\/p>\n

During an investigative reconstruction he said that he approached the man who was already lying on the ground, took out the knife and inflicted about 10 blows<\/strong>. He explained his behavior by alcohol intoxication and a surge of aggression.<\/p>\n

The Inhulskyi District Court did not accept the defendant\u2019s version of the absence of intent to kill. The court examined the testimony of the victim and witnesses, materials of investigative reconstructions, medical documentation, forensic conclusions and other evidence.<\/p>\n

In the verdict the court explained why it did not accept the defendant\u2019s denial of guilt.<\/p>\n

“The court treats the defendant\u2019s denial of his guilt critically, since such explanations contradict other evidence in the criminal proceedings, examined by the court as a whole, and, in the court\u2019s opinion, are motivated by the defendant\u2019s desire to avoid proper criminal responsibility.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The court paid particular attention to the fact that the attack was sudden, the first blow was dealt from the back, the men had not previously known each other, and after numerous knife wounds the victim was not given help.<\/p>\n

The court also took into account the number of blows, their location and the mechanism of infliction.<\/p>\n

Taken together, these circumstances were recognized by the court as evidence of direct intent to deprive the victim of life.<\/p>\n

A forensic psychiatric examination conducted in 2016<\/strong> found that Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> did not suffer from a mental illness, could understand the significance of his actions and control them. The experts noted ordinary alcohol intoxication.<\/p>\n

9 years<\/strong> had already been imposed \u2014 but the verdict was overturned<\/h2>\n

This was not the first guilty verdict in the case.<\/p>\n

Back in 2017<\/strong> Korabelov.info reported<\/a> that a court of first instance found Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> guilty and sentenced him to 9 years\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, both parties appealed the verdict.<\/p>\n

The prosecution pointed out that the verdict did not properly formulate the accusation: the purpose, motive and consequences of the defendant\u2019s actions were not sufficiently specified.<\/p>\n

The defense, for its part, argued that there was insufficient direct and reliable evidence that the knife wounds were inflicted by Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> specifically. The defendant\u2019s mother also claimed alleged psychological pressure on her son at the Korabelnyi police station.<\/p>\n

The appellate court quashed the verdict and sent the criminal proceedings for a new trial. The teenager was left under house arrest.<\/p>\n

And it was after this that the repeated trial dragged on for years.<\/p>\n

After 10 years<\/strong> the court again found him guilty<\/h2>\n

In September 2026<\/strong> the Inhulskyi District Court of Mykolaiv<\/strong> again concluded that the guilt of Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> was proven.<\/p>\n

His actions were qualified under Part 2 of Article 15 and Part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine<\/strong> \u2014 a completed attempt at intentional murder.<\/p>\n

The punishment \u2014 9 years\u2019 imprisonment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

But the convicted person will not serve these 9 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The reason is not acquittal, not a finding of innocence, and not the absence of evidence.<\/p>\n

The reason is the expiration of the statute of limitations.<\/p>\n

Why for 25 stab wounds<\/strong> you may not end up in prison<\/h2>\n

At the time of the crime Ruslan Saidalimov<\/strong> was 15 years old<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

For persons who commit a criminal offense before reaching 18 years<\/strong> of age, special limitation periods apply.<\/p>\n

According to Article 106 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine<\/strong>, for an especially serious crime committed by a minor the statute of limitations is 10 years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The attack took place on 14 February 2016<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Therefore, by 14 February 2026<\/strong> the 10 years<\/strong> provided by law had passed.<\/p>\n

The court found that the defendant did not hide from the investigative authorities or the court, so the statute of limitations was not suspended.<\/p>\n

When the court finally issued the new verdict in September 2026<\/strong>, the period had already expired.<\/p>\n

As a result, the court simultaneously:<\/p>\n