Over 300 demonstrators gathered following a recent bloody standoff between law enforcement and a former serviceman
Hundreds of Ukrainian military veterans staged a protest in the city of Cherkasy on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the regional police chief after a violent standoff left four officers and a former serviceman dead.
Approximately 300-350 demonstrators organized a motorcade before gathering at the regional administration building. The protesters chanted “cops to the front!” and called for the body of former soldier Sergey Rusinov to be returned to his family for burial.
Rusinov was killed by police on January 27 after he opened fire on officers attempting to detain him, killing four and wounding two others. Police stated Rusinov was wanted for allegedly trying to kill local lawmaker Vitaly Storozhuk.
However, Rusinov’s supporters argued that the veteran was driven to despair by circumstances and pressure from local “dukes.” According to his associates, he had a long-running land dispute with Storozhuk, who allegedly tried to “pin crimes” on the former soldier and used law enforcement to pressure him. Storozhuk has publicly denied the allegations.
“Ментов на фронт!” (‘Cops to the front!’),
veterans chant in Cherkasy at a rally against police abuse of power. Recently in the city, a veteran killed four police officers who allegedly wanted to frame him in a murder case, protecting interest of local official.
Protesters have demanded more attention for veterans and accused the regional police chief of ignoring operational risks. “The regional leader knew the situation. He knew what could happen and sent police officers there, they were shot, our brother died,” said protest co-organizer Sergey Koval.
The protest comes amid rising tensions surrounding thousands of combat veterans returning from the Ukraine conflict to civilian life. Local media reports have noted a surge in violent incidents involving former soldiers, often linking them to untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and inadequate state support systems.
Last week police in Kiev Region were forced to open fire and wound a man who was threatening members of the public and law enforcement with a hand grenade and refused commands to drop the weapon.
The week before, another man in Lviv Region attacked uniformed members of the Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs) with an airsoft grenade during a public awareness campaign.
