Zelenskyy is pushing for a review of the rules governing the use of weapons by the police

The rules governing the use of firearms by police officers to protect people, as well as response protocols, must be revised. 

This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The statement was made following a terrorist attack in Kyiv, during which patrol officers failed to stop the killer. The head of state emphasized the need to change police training rules and protocols to ensure the safety of citizens and prevent similar incidents from recurring. 

According to the president, the patrol officers should have done everything possible to neutralize the criminal, but they fled the scene. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko reported that two law enforcement officers who failed to protect people have already been charged.

Zelenskyy emphasized that accountability for such actions must be inevitable, and that legal proceedings against the suspects will not be delayed. Sufficient evidence has now been gathered to bring the fugitives to trial.

The shooting incident in the capital prompted a sharp reaction from government officials due to the patrol officers’ failure to properly fulfill their professional duties. New protocols are expected to tighten requirements for police conduct in extreme situations.

The Prosecutor General’s Office has already released body camera footage confirming the circumstances of the incident. Official Kyiv insists on a thorough review of the entire personnel training system within the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The attack occurred on Saturday, April 18, when 58-year-old Dmytro Vasylchenkov opened fire on pedestrians on Demiivska Street, after which he took hostages at the “Velmart” supermarket. Six people were killed in the attack, and about 15 others were injured to varying degrees. 

Earlier, a video appeared online showing police officers fleeing from the shooter during the terrorist attack in Kyiv on April 18, leaving civilians behind, including a child.

At the instruction of Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, an internal investigation has been launched into the actions of patrol officers at the scene of the shooting in Kyiv. For the duration of the investigation, the police officers involved in the incident have been suspended from duty.