Serviceman killed in car accident with allegedly drunk judge driving

A car driven by a judge of a Kyiv district court hit a serviceman of the National Guard at a checkpoint in the capital shortly before midnight on May 25.

The guardsman died on the spot as a result of his injuries, the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office reported on May 26.

The accident happened at 11:55 PM at a roadblock on Beresteiska Avenue, where the judge was driving his Lexus car, according to law enforcement.

Citing its sources in law enforcement, Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported that Judge Oleksii Tandyr, head of the Makariv district court, was behind the wheel. According to the media, Tandyr was intoxicated while driving.

The public broadcaster Suspilne reported that the incident happened shortly after the start of the curfew. The car ran over the soldier as he was setting up roadblocks on the street.

Suspilne’s sources also said that Tandyr was under the influence of alcohol and that a bottle was found in his car.

The State Bureau of Investigation, which is conducting a pre-trial investigation under the Kyiv Prosecutor's Office oversight, wrote that the judge refused to undergo an examination for intoxication. "Procedural measures are being taken to forcibly collect biological samples from the judge," the bureau said.

The punishment for vehicular manslaughter under the influence of alcohol or drugs is up to 10 years in prison.

According to the investigative project Bihus.info, both the father and the brother of the deceased guardsman also serve in the military. The father is deployed near Bakhmut.

The non-governmental organization Dejure Foundation reported that in 2021, Tandyr allegedly helped his colleague Judge Dmytro Usatov avoid consequences for causing a car accident while intoxicated.

Russia’s Kinzhal missile is not hypersonic. Nor is it invincible

When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,

The Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko