In Transcarpathia, a border guard was notified of being named a suspect in connection with the shooting of civilians

A major in the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has been notified of charges of abuse of authority, accompanied by violence and the use of special equipment. 

According to the investigation, the officer unjustifiably shot a driver in the stomach and destroyed a passenger’s cell phone during a follow-up inspection near Velykyi Bereznyi.

The incident occurred in November 2024. The acting head of the border guard detachment’s department, as part of a response team, caught up with and stopped a vehicle carrying three men subject to military conscription. Prior to this, the men had already had their documents checked at a checkpoint and had been allowed to proceed; however, the security forces decided to inspect the car again without sufficient legal grounds to do so.

During the stop, a 40-year-old officer opened the passenger door, fired a non-lethal weapon at one of the men’s cell phones, then pulled him out of the vehicle and knocked him to the ground. The major then fired a shot at the driver’s abdomen. As a result of the use of force, the victims sustained bodily injuries, including a contusion to the abdomen, a concussion, bruises, and abrasions. The men were then detained and taken to the police station on suspicion of attempting to illegally cross the state border.

The soldier’s actions were classified under Part 2 of Article 365 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Under the procedural guidance of the Transcarpathian Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense in the Western Region, a motion was filed with the court to impose a preventive measure. The penalty under this article provides for imprisonment for up to eight years.

The pretrial investigation is being conducted by investigators from the Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation in Lviv. Law enforcement officials are also currently investigating the possible involvement of other military personnel from the response unit in the commission of this crime.

In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.

Earlier in Kyiv, a 24-year-old law student was detained for offering men the opportunity to fictitiously “enroll” in a Polish university for $10,000 in order to travel abroad.

In Poland, two female professors from Odesa were detained for attempting to purchase a batch of diplomas from a Warsaw university.