Actress Killed in Moscow Stunt Gone Wrong

A 34-year-old biker performing a wheelie lost control and fatally struck a woman filming the stunt in Moscow, Russia, on the evening of May 5. The victim, 34-year-old actress and model Ksenia Dobromilova, died in an ambulance en route to the hospital after suffering severe head trauma and multiple fractures. Her young daughter was among the dozens of onlookers who witnessed the incident on Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya Street.

The biker, identified in reports as Maxim Zaviryukha, was thrown from his motorcycle and collided with a car. He sustained minor injuries—bruises to his shoulder and arm plus a sprained ankle—but refused hospital treatment. Moscow police detained him at the scene and opened a criminal case under part three of Article 264 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers violation of traffic rules causing death by negligence. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

On May 7, a Moscow court placed Zaviryukha under house arrest until July 5. He reportedly told investigators the collision was unintentional and that he was friends with Dobromilova. He also expressed his intention to support her family financially.

Earlier that day, Dobromilova had announced on her Instagram page that she was filming motorcyclists performing stunts. A video shows the moment the biker crashes into her as she crouches in the road taking photographs. Fragments of her camera were reportedly left scattered on the asphalt.

Dobromilova was best known for starring in the music video for "War Girl" by rap duo HammAli & Navai. Rapper Navai publicly offered his condolences following the tragedy. She was also a performer who had served in the Moscow Moon Theatre and the Theatre of Musical. An enthusiastic motorcyclist and photographer, she regularly documented biker events and had survived a previous motorcycle crash in 2023 that left her with a fractured radius, as reported by Need To Know. Investigators are continuing to examine the exact speed, visibility, and road conditions at the time of the accident.