Photo: Andriy Snizhko/40th Tactical Aviation Brigade

We are publishing this statement at the request and with the consent of our client Lilia Averyanova, the mother of Andriy Pilshchikov (“Juice”).

Today, August 25, 2025, is the second anniversary of the death of Andriy Pilshchikov (“Dzhus”), a pilot and Hero of Ukraine. Andriy became a symbol of courage and change in our army for thousands of people, and was one of the most visible ambassadors of the appearance of the F-16 in Ukrainian skies.

His mother, Liliya Averyanova, has been living with the pain of losing her son for two years. And now she has asked to share what she still has to experience because of the actions of the SBI investigators.

What happened:

On July 11, investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation came to Ms. Liliya’s apartment to search it without a court order, citing in the report an “urgent case” in the case of Vitaliy Shabunin.

As a result, they only took copies of documents for Ms. Liliya’s apartment — information that can be obtained from the state registry in a few clicks.

Simultaneously with the search of Ms. Liliya, SBI investigators were conducting investigative actions with the participation of Vitaliy Shabunin in another location.

In simple words, why this is wrong:

Without a trial – only in two extreme cases. The law allows searches without a warrant only when saving life/property or pursuing a suspect “on hot pursuit.” In our situation, there was neither rescue nor persecution: the SBI investigators were with Vitaly Shabunin in another location, and “rescuing” copies of documents for an apartment was absurd.

A search is one of the harshest interferences with human rights. They came to the mother of the fallen Hero without a court order, also for the sake of paper copies. This is excessive, disproportionate and without proper justification. A search is a last resort and the last step. First, a request to provide documents, then a court order for temporary access. Only when this is impossible and there is an immediate risk is a search permitted, and then by court order.

Such actions are an affront to dignity. The state must treat the families of the fallen with special respect. Instead, the “dialogue” between law enforcement officers and Ms. Liliya began with a search of her home. And this is against the background of the fact that the State Bureau of Investigation has been investigating the plane crash in which Andriy died for two years, and during all this time, not a single official conversation between law enforcement officers and the mother has taken place. It is unacceptable to start a conversation with the Hero’s mother by searching her. That can’t be.

Our answer:

We, the Miller team of attorneys, are representing Ms. Lilia pro bono and have already taken the following steps:

  • We helped Ms. Liliya obtain official victim status in the proceedings regarding the plane crash in which Andriy died. This triggers due process communication, the right to request access to materials, evaluate procedural actions, and receive substantive responses.
  • We contacted the State Bureau of Investigation for official explanations regarding the reasons for the “urgency” and actions taken during the search. As of August 25, 2025, there is no answer — that is, even here the Hero’s mother is left without an explanation.
  • We have filed a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor General’s Office and will seek a legal assessment of the actions of all officials who entered Ms. Liliya’s apartment without a court order.

If there is no reaction, we will initiate further checks and appeals within the framework of national and international human rights protection mechanisms so that the decision regarding this situation is not formal, but substantive.

Mrs. Liliya raised the Hero. It is our duty to protect her dignity and right to justice.