Man fatally stabs TCR serviceman in Lviv and flees: he has been detained (updated). PHOTOS
On the evening of 3 December, a serviceman from the Halytskyi-Frankivskyi District Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR and SS) was fatally wounded in Lviv during an ID check.
The Office of the Prosecutor General reported this, Censor.NET notes.
At around 8 p.m., at the intersection of Yefremova and Yaponska streets, a 30-year-old local resident stabbed the serviceman and then used pepper spray before fleeing the scene. According to preliminary findings, the attack took place at the very moment the soldier was checking his documents.
The injured, a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), was taken to hospital with critical damage to his femoral artery. Doctors tried to save his life, but the wound proved fatal.
Law enforcement officers quickly identified and detained the suspect. A knife was found and seized at the scene.
Criminal proceedings
Criminal proceedings have been opened under Article 121(2) and Article 350(3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – intentional grievous bodily harm inflicted in connection with the performance of official duties, resulting in the victim’s death.
Prosecutors are currently deciding on serving the detainee with a notice of suspicion and requesting that he be remanded in custody as a preventive measure.
Reaction of OC "West"
The man, who refused to identify himself and behaved aggressively, stabbed serviceman Yurii Bondarenko, damaging his aorta. The victim was taken to hospital where, despite doctors’ efforts, he died from massive blood loss. Another soldier was struck in the head.
Yurii Bondarenko was a combat veteran and continued to serve at the TCR and SS, carrying out tasks vital to the defence of the state.
"This tragedy demonstrates a deeper trend that is gradually taking on dangerous features: some Ukrainians have begun to see service members as an external force that allegedly threatens their everyday lives, rather than as defenders who make it possible for that life to continue," Operational Command West noted.
The statement stresses that the incident in Lviv is not just a conflict with the TCR and SS, but in fact armed resistance to the lawful actions of service members. The command notes that the crisis of trust manifests itself not only in attacks on the military, but also in civilians blocking their actions, spreading hostile videos and reacting hysterically to lawful measures.
"If service members are forced to fear aggression from those they are protecting, then we are facing a fundamental problem that requires an immediate response," the command emphasizes.
Law enforcement agencies are conducting an investigation, and the attacker will be prosecuted under articles that reflect the gravity of the crime.
"We extend our sincere condolences to the family of the fallen soldier. Punishment will be inevitable. Ukraine will prevail," the command added.
