Turkish man threatened Kazan massacre before killing wife
A voice message from the deceased Yelena was played at a court hearing
A citizen of Turkey and Germany, Etsfele Mete, who slit the throat of his wife — 34-year-old Yelena Ryabinina — in front of their son in Kazan, had earlier threatened to cut the throats of everyone in the capital of the republic if she ever «dumped» him. Yelena told her cousin about this — the 116.RU newsroom is publishing a recording of the voice message.
The recording was played during a court session
In a message sent on 9 January 2025 at 21:47, the young woman discussed whether Mete might come to Kazan after her to win her back, and explained that she could not yet imagine how the father would interact with their son. But she was certain that if Etsfele behaved aggressively, she would cut off all ties with him.
«Turks need a visa to Russia — that»s one. Second, in order for him to get a visa in his Turkish passport, he first needs to get that passport; he has some crappy card. It«s all complicated. Well, maybe they»ll let him in, how should I know. In any case, what would he do here — come running after me? Although his manic thoughts and behavior… In 2023 I expected him to be aggressive, to threaten me, so I don«t know how he»ll behave now. In 2023 he acted slyly — started calling everyone, sobbing, kneeling, and then slyly took the child to Turkey when we were having my dad treated. And he hid the birth certificate there, claiming I had lost it. One way or another we had to return to Germany. That no longer works on me, I«ve been through it a thousand times. A person doesn»t change, a person only gets worse. When we were flying here in October — I was already worn out, because he was putting on such scenes for me. And in the end he stood up and pointed his finger in my face like this and said: «If this is what I think it is, like we arrive and you ****** [dump] me in Kazan, like I»ll take a knife and start cutting all the people in Kazan. I will take knife and I would die people all in Kazan.«» Ryabinina says in the voice message.
At one of the court hearings, Yelena«s mother — Yevgeniya Ryabinina — said that after their son was born, Mete »felt he had power over her« and they began to quarrel. In 2023, the young woman fled her husband from Germany to Kazan for the first time, but later returned to him. She finally moved back to her homeland in 2025 — she bought an apartment and filed for divorce.
Recall that on 24 May 2025, Etsfele Mete tracked down Yelena Ryabinina, the director of a gymnastics school, came to her apartment in the Volzhskaya Gavan residential complex and, out of jealousy (while the man himself actively messaged other women during the marriage) slit her throat right in front of their 3-year-old son. The couple was in the process of divorcing.
On the day of the tragedy, Yelena was planning to celebrate her son«s birthday at a café, even asked Mete to pick up the celebratory cake from a courier and invited relatives, but she never arrived. Alarmed relatives went to her home and found her body.
Mete also wounded the child in the head, then recorded a video address to his loved ones and climbed onto the balcony, threatening suicide, but ultimately surrendered to police. The man faces a life sentence. During his detention, Etsfele did not admit guilt.
