A Ukrainian national who has been living in Belarus since 2013. In 2012-2013, Ivan served in the reconnaissance units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, BelTA reports. Investigators believe that in January of this year, Likholat contacted the SBU, where he was tasked with blowing up railway tracks. He recruited two Grodno residents with professional skills in mine and explosives for the mission. Pukhal'skiy was detained when he took an explosive device from a hiding place in the Kobrin district and transported it to the Tolochin district. Likholat and Borodich were detained in Grodno.
During his time in the KGB pretrial detention center, Ivan lost a significant amount of weight. A psychiatrist prescribed medication to improve his sleep and well-being, as well as to reduce anxiety. He had pain in his leg , which has a metal joint , and also had headaches due to contusions. His sleeping quarters were upstairs, which presented additional problems. During his investigation, for approximately nine months , the political prisoner was held in a "rubber cell "—a special cell with rubber walls, a single light bulb, and nothing else. Ivan was severely beaten by investigators . It is known that the Ukrainian embassy visited him a couple of times, but they were unable to help. Letters from his relatives were not delivered to the prisoner , and he was also unable to purchase food or other items from the prison store. Ivan greatly misses his children.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the court ordering Ivan to serve the first three years of his sentence in prison.
On September 6, 2026, Ivan was transferred to a penal colony, the destination is still unknown.
