Incident in Kyiv Sparks Outcry
A shocking incident in Kyiv has led to the suspension of two police officers after a video surfaced online showing them fleeing the scene of a shooting that left six people dead. The event took place on Saturday when an armed man opened fire and took hostages in a supermarket located in a residential area of the Ukrainian capital. The attacker was eventually shot dead during an arrest attempt.
In footage shared by Ukrainian media, a male and a female officer in uniform and yellow vests can be seen standing next to a person lying on the ground before they flee as shots ring out. This leaves behind civilians, including a child, who are left vulnerable in the aftermath of the incident.
Interior Minister’s Response
Ukraine’s interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, expressed his disappointment over the officers’ actions, calling it “shameful” and “unworthy behavior.” He emphasized that this conduct reflects poorly on the entire system and stated that the officers have been suspended while an investigation is conducted. Klymenko also made it clear that the actions of just two officers should not be used to generalize about the entire police force.
The motive for the shooting is still under investigation, although it has now been officially classified as a terrorist act. However, Klymenko noted that the attacker “was clearly suffering from mental instability.” He added that it is necessary to examine how the individual obtained the medical certificates required to renew his gun license. Despite this, he clarified that there would be no systematic checks on gun owners, who are legally required to register their weapons.
Klymenko pledged to hold “expert discussions with the participation of MPs, citizens, journalists and veterans” on firearms legislation. On the topic of granting civilians the right to own firearms, including handguns, he said, “I believe people should have the right to defend themselves with weapons. Especially after seeing, at the start of the full-scale invasion, civilians being given weapons for the national resistance.”
Resignation of Patrol Police Chief
The head of Ukraine’s national police, Ivan Vyhovskyi, who was tasked with the inquiry, announced that an internal investigation had been opened. Later on Sunday, prosecutor general Ruslan Kravtchenko announced the launch of a criminal investigation into alleged failures by the police officers to fulfill their professional duties.
“All the actions of law enforcement at the time when citizens’ lives were in serious danger, including leaving a young child at risk and failing to neutralise the assailant in time, will be subject to appropriate legal assessment,” the prosecutor general said.
Meanwhile, the head of Ukraine’s patrol police department, Yevhen Zhukov, resigned over the officers’ behavior, which he described as “shameful.” He criticized the officers for acting unprofessionally and in a manner unworthy of police officers. Zhukov explained that the officers arrived at the scene with the responsibility to help and save their fellow citizens but instead lost their bearings and left wounded civilians in danger.
Zhukov revealed that one of the patrol officers had been in the police since 2024, and his female partner since 2015. According to him, the patrol officer should have drawn his weapon and fired a warning shot, then used it. “But he made a mistake and, unfortunately, did not use it,” the patrol police chief said.
