Belgrade Murder of Russian Woman: Suspect Denies Guilt
Turkish national K. E., 24, presented his defense at the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor's Office. He denied killing the Russian woman and claims several people were involved.
The suspect in the murder of a Russian woman in Belgrade has presented his defense for the first time. Turkish national K. E., 24, was questioned at the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office and, according to information from the investigation, fully denied the aggravated murder charge against him.
Along with his denial, he made a claim that has pushed the investigation in a new direction. According to sources, he said he did not act alone, and that several other people were involved in the incident. He named individuals, objects and circumstances he links to the young Russian woman’s death. These claims have not been confirmed, nor has the prosecution presented them as its own findings.
A source familiar with the case describes what happens next.
During his defense he also brought up other people, certain items and circumstances he claims are connected to Ljudmila’s death. It is now up to the investigating authorities to check whether there is any truth to those claims, or whether this is an attempt to steer the investigation in another direction.
Checking those claims means the circle of people around the case is widening, at least until they can be ruled out. Investigators are simultaneously gathering physical evidence, video surveillance footage, forensic results and the suspect’s communications.
What He Is Charged With
Under the order to conduct an investigation, the suspect is charged with aggravated murder, an offense punishable by life imprisonment.
There are grounds for suspicion that on July 26, at around 5:30 a.m., he lured Ljudmila T. K., 27, a Russian national, into his apartment. Within about an hour, it is suspected, he strangled her with a piece of clothing wrapped around her neck. At around 6:55 a.m. he carried a travel suitcase containing her body out of the apartment and threw it into the Vizelj canal in Padinska Skela. The body was found six days later.
The Timeline Leading Up to It
Ljudmila T. K. was born on September 29, 1998. She arrived in Belgrade on July 23, 2026, on a flight from Istanbul and rented an apartment in Savski Venac, where she planned to spend a few days with friends who live in the city.
She sent her mother a last message on July 25 at 11:20 p.m.: “I went out with the girls, everything is fine. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Her phone soon became unreachable, and her family reported her missing.
Why Is the Case Being Handled in Serbia?
Because the offense he is suspected of was committed on Serbian territory. K. E. will not be extradited to Turkey, and if the indictment is confirmed, he will be tried before the competent court in Serbia. Any sentence would be served in a Serbian prison.
The Belgrade Higher Court ordered his detention on all four legal grounds:
- risk of flight
- concern that he might influence witnesses if released
- risk that he would repeat the offense
- the severity of the offense, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment
The defense he presented does not change the status of the case. The reasonable suspicion stands, the detention remains in force, and the burden of proof lies with the prosecution, which must now verify each of his claims as well. Until a final verdict, K. E. is presumed innocent.
