The head of Ukraine's patrol police, Yevhen Zhukov, has resigned after two of his officers faced criticism for allegedly fleeing a deadly mass shooting in the capital, Kyiv. Six people died and 14 others were injured on Saturday after a man opened fire on people on the street in Kyiv's southern Holosiivskyi district before taking others hostage in a nearby supermarket. He was later killed in a shoot-out with the police.
Footage has since been shared online appearing to show officers leaving civilians and running away from the scene. Ukraine's Interior Minister Igor Klymenko stated that the officers in question had been suspended, and an investigation into their actions is underway. 'Serve and protect' is not just a slogan. It must be supported by appropriate professional actions. Especially at critical moments, when people's lives depend on it, he wrote on Telegram.
However, Klymenko cautioned that it is not entirely correct to generalize about the entire police force based on the actions of two employees. Zhukov explained in a news conference that the officers had failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger, leading to his decision to resign. He expressed that their actions were unprofessional and unworthy.
The Ukrainian authorities are treating the shooting as a terrorist act; however, they have not yet disclosed a motive as they describe the assailant's mental state as clearly unstable.
Eight people remain in hospital, with one adult in an extremely serious condition and three others in serious condition, officials say. Amid the ongoing war with Russia, president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed heartbreak over this violence in a civilian context, and criminal investigations into police conduct are underway as the nation grapples with the toll of both war and civilian safety.
Footage has since been shared online appearing to show officers leaving civilians and running away from the scene. Ukraine's Interior Minister Igor Klymenko stated that the officers in question had been suspended, and an investigation into their actions is underway. 'Serve and protect' is not just a slogan. It must be supported by appropriate professional actions. Especially at critical moments, when people's lives depend on it, he wrote on Telegram.
However, Klymenko cautioned that it is not entirely correct to generalize about the entire police force based on the actions of two employees. Zhukov explained in a news conference that the officers had failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger, leading to his decision to resign. He expressed that their actions were unprofessional and unworthy.
The Ukrainian authorities are treating the shooting as a terrorist act; however, they have not yet disclosed a motive as they describe the assailant's mental state as clearly unstable.
Eight people remain in hospital, with one adult in an extremely serious condition and three others in serious condition, officials say. Amid the ongoing war with Russia, president Volodymyr Zelensky expressed heartbreak over this violence in a civilian context, and criminal investigations into police conduct are underway as the nation grapples with the toll of both war and civilian safety.
