Fled with weapons: Two police officers notified of suspicion for actions during the terrorist attack in Kyiv - Prosecutor General

A patrol crew, carrying service firearms and having all legal grounds for their use, actually fled the scene of the terrorist attack in Kyiv. This was reported by Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko after reviewing video materials, adding that two police officers have been notified of suspicion, UNN reports.

I held a meeting with prosecutors and reviewed video materials from the scene of events last Saturday in Kyiv. The patrol crew arrived at a call about a shooting. On the spot, they saw wounded people: a child, a man, and a woman, who needed immediate help. There were other people nearby, including another child. The boy with a gunshot wound asks law enforcement officers not to save him, but to help his father. This is a manifestation of incredible courage of the child. Instead, the patrol crew, carrying service firearms and having all legal grounds for their use, actually flees the scene of the incident.

According to the Prosecutor General, due to the inaction of police officers, the armed man continued to move freely along the street and shoot at defenseless passers-by.

He added that from 4:35 PM to 6:00 PM on April 18, six people were killed in Kyiv. Today, another man died in the hospital from his injuries, becoming the seventh victim of the terrorist attack.

Sufficient evidence has been collected to notify two employees of the Patrol Police Department in Kyiv of suspicion due to their actions during the terrorist act. They are charged with official negligence that caused grave consequences under Part 3 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

Recall

On April 18, in the Holosiivskyi district of the capital, a 58-year-old native of Moscow opened fire, killed five people, and then barricaded himself in a supermarket and held hostages. He used a registered firearm. At the same time, a fire broke out in the apartment where the attacker was registered.

Later, two more people died in the hospital.

The shooter was eliminated.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Part 3 of Article 258 (terrorist act that led to the death of people) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding the shooting of civilians and hostage-taking in the capital.

Also, criminal proceedings have been initiated regarding the improper performance of official duties by police officers during the terrorist attack in the capital on April 18, 2026. The legal qualification of the criminal offense is Part 3 of Article 367 (official negligence that caused grave consequences) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

All actions of law enforcement officers at the moment of critical threat to the lives of citizens, including the episode with leaving a minor child in danger and the untimely cessation of the attacker's actions, will receive a proper legal assessment, reported Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.