Court imposes pretrial detention on patrol officer following shooting in Kyiv
A court in Kyiv has remanded a patrol officer in custody who is suspected of professional negligence during a shooting in the Holosiivskyi district. The officer in question was the first to arrive at the scene with his partner. Investigators believe the crew failed to act appropriately at a critical moment.
The Pecherskyi District Court imposed a preventive measure on patrol officer Mykhailo Drobnytskyi. He was remanded in custody for 60 days—until June 18, 2026. At the same time, the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 266,240 hryvnias was provided.
The prosecution insisted specifically on detention. The police officer is charged with professional negligence resulting in serious consequences during events classified as a terrorist attack. Drobnytskyi himself presented his version of events in court. According to him, the crew initially responded to a call regarding disorderly conduct. On the way, they heard gunshots and screams, after which they decided to check what had happened.
Near the building entrance, he says, they saw the wounded—a man, a woman, and a child. The officer claims he immediately relayed the information over the radio and asked for an ambulance to be called. “I understood that the situation was serious and that people needed to be saved,” he explained.
According to him, he gave his partner the keys and a tablet and asked her to run for a first-aid kit. Meanwhile, he tried to relay more information to the dispatcher. Then, as Drobnytskyi says, an armed man with an automatic rifle came out of the building and opened fire. “I started moving toward cover; they were shooting at me,” he said in court.
The patrol officer added that after that, he tried to get his bearings and take steps to search for the attacker.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor’s office claims that the crew, despite having weapons and legal grounds to use them, effectively left the scene. According to the investigation, this allowed the attacker to move forward unimpeded and continue firing.
The events took place on April 18 in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. According to the investigation, a 58-year-old man opened fire on people following a domestic dispute. He first fired shots inside the building, then set the apartment on fire and went out onto the street with a weapon.
He then made his way to the “Velmart” store, where he took hostages and killed another person. After negotiations that lasted about 40 minutes, special forces stormed the building and neutralized the attacker. Seven people were killed in the shooting. Another 14 were injured, including a child.
Separately, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that two police officers were on the scene—a 27-year-old patrol officer and a 44-year-old female officer. According to him, investigators are currently conducting a detailed review of their actions during the incident.
