Ukrainian Police Shooting: Two Suspects Arrested for Attacking Officers near Vinnytsia

The State Bureau of Investigation said they are investigating information about the theft of explosives and weapons by the defendants from a unit of their military unit.

According to the investigation, on April 19, 2024, the suspects left the military unit in the Odessa region without permission, stealing the service pistol assigned to one of them.

On April 20 at night, while they were searching a car in the Vinnytsia region, they killed one policeman, wounded another and fled the scene.

At about 2 in the morning in the Gaysinsky district of the Vinnytsia region, police officers stopped an unknown dark-colored car for investigation.

“The police were driving ​​from a call to 102, carrying a prisoner in a car – a domestic rapist. They saw a violation of traffic rules and stopped the car,” said Klimenko.

There were two men in the car. They opened fire on the police. A 20-year-old policeman died as a result of his injuries and his partner was injured.

Later, the suspect’s car was found in Vinnytsia region.

A video from surveillance cameras at a gas station appeared on social networks, showing that the attackers were dressed in olive green clothing, which is often worn by the Ukrainian military. The car they were driving was also olive green.

Videos from the body camera of one of the police have already surfaced on the internet. In the film, the same people as the video from the gas station, after stopping, calmly communicate with the police who wanted to search the trunk of the car.

In the video from the surveillance camera, one of the attackers can be heard saying that he and his father serve in the 28th separate mechanized brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a military unit located in the Odessa region.

However, the military command denies that the two attackers are active servicemen of this brigade.

“We note that the people suspected of having committed a crime have not been associated with the 28th Mechanized Brigade for more than a year. Knights of the Winter March. We are making every effort to investigate this matter and ensure justice,” Southern Operations Command said in a statement.

“Maxim was 20 years old. Since 2021, he has been studying at the National Academy of Internal Affairs and has been diligently in the patrol police response department for a year and a half,” the police said.

The second police officer who was injured is now in a moderate condition, but doctors expect him to make a full recovery.

“It doesn’t matter who and what clothes. In what situation and why. There is no reason for this crime and there cannot be,” said Igor Klimenko. “And yes: this tragic event shows that there is no turning back for the police.”