The Ukrainians in Economy Class [S2Ep20]

Why were Oleg Chustrak and Sergei Deineka aboard MH370?

Like the murderer in an Agatha Christie whodunit, the perpetrator of the MH370 hijack must have been among those present at the scene of the crime. Which suspects deserve the closest examination?

The captain, Zaharie Ahmed Shah, certainly has gotten the lion's share of attention. And we discussed Nikolai Brodsky in Episode 2 of this season. There are two others on my list: Sergei Deineka and Oleg Chustrak, childhood friends who attended high school together in Odessa, Ukraine, then served as conscripts in the Soviet Army before reuniting to open a furniture manufacturing and retail business in their home town. They also imported furniture from Malaysia and China, which is why they came to be on MH370 the fateful night of March 8, 2014. They were travelling from a furniture trade show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to another one in Guanzhou, China 10 days later. At least, that’s the story their relatives told officials. But does it really hold water? I’ve spent years scouring government records and interviewing Ukrainians to better understand what Chustrak and Deineka were up to. Despite my best efforts, the gaps in their story remained significant, and I struggled to make sense of what they were really up to. Then came a surprise breakthrough.

For more about Chustrak and Deineka, check out my book "The Taking of MH370,” available on Amazon. I've also written about them on my blog at JeffWise.net:

“The Russian Passengers Aboard MH370”

“Why Were the Ukrainians Aboard MH370?”

“MH370 Passenger’s Daughter: ‘There’s No Evidence is That He is Dead’”

Meanwhile, we’re still in our first week of the Kickstarter to raise money for the Finding MH370 Project, and we have a long way to go, so if you could make a pledge that would be amazing. Let’s bust open the paradox of the Lepas barnacles!