Kyiv official under house arrest over closed shelter case

The Holosiivskyi District Court in Kyiv put Roman Tkachuk, the head of Kyiv's Municipal Security Department, under house arrest for suspected negligence over a closed shelter which three people died trying to access during a Russian attack on June 1, the Kyiv City Council said on June 21.

According to the investigators, Tkachuk did not ensure the accessibility of shelters in the Desnianskyi micro-district and is therefore responsible for the three victims.

The suspect reportedly denied responsibility, saying it lies with the district's administration, the State Emergency Service, and the owners of the object where the shelter is located.

The incident that cost the lives of two women and a 9-year-old child sparked outrage toward the state and city authorities. The government initiated audits of all of the country's shelters and launched investigations against those responsible for the deaths of the victims.

On June 3, the Holosiivskyi District Court arrested a 62-year-old clinic night guard who failed to open the shelter at the time of the Russian attack.

On June 12, the audit revealed that over 30% of bomb shelters in the country and around 35% in Kyiv are unsuitable or inaccessible.

Clinic guard arrested over locked bomb shelter that led to civilian deaths in Kyiv

In an unexpected turn that left many commentators dissatisfied, the June 3 arrest hearing appeared to put the majority of responsibility for the tragedy on the clinic’s elderly night guard.

The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko