Yevhen Zhukov, head of Ukraine’s patrol police, resigned on April 19 after video emerged showing two of his officers fleeing the scene of a deadly shooting in Kyiv the day before.
The gunman opened fire at a supermarket in the Holosiivskyi district on April 18, killing six people and injuring 14, including a 12-year-old boy. He was later killed by police after taking hostages in the store.
Zhukov said at a press briefing that he had decided to resign due to the fact that, as an officer, he believed it was the right thing to do. He described the actions of the two officers who ran away as “shameful” and said they had been suspended pending investigation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the officers had been at the scene but failed to stop the shooter and fled on their own, calling it a case of inaction. He said a criminal case had been opened and would be handled by Ukraine’s National Investigations Bureau.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko called the officers’ response a disgrace for the entire system but cautioned against generalizing about the police force. He praised those who stormed the supermarket and stopped the gunman, saying “to serve and protect” must be backed by action in critical moments.
The shooter was identified as a 58-year-old man originally from Moscow who had been living in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district. He had previously lived in the Donetsk region, which is largely under Russian occupation. His gun was officially registered, and authorities are investigating how he renewed his licence.
Zhukov has led the patrol police since 2015. Klymenko said Zhukov would not be dismissed from law enforcement but would likely be transferred to another role in the Interior Ministry, possibly one tied more directly to the war effort.
Klymenko said there would be no mass check of gun owners after the shooting, but that the ministry would open expert discussions to prepare final legislation on civilian gun ownership. Ukrainians are permitted to own non-automatic firearms if they meet licence conditions, such as having no criminal record or history of mental illness.
Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, Ukrainians have been allowed to carry weapons for self-defence and national defence. A 2023 compact arms survey found that only about 3.4% of Ukrainian adults owned their own gun.
Zelensky said the protocols for responding to such incidents would be reviewed, along with hiring and training processes. He said Klymenko would review law enforcement personnel decisions across the entire chain of command.
Why did the police chief resign?
Yevhen Zhukov resigned because he believed it was the right thing to do as an officer after two of his subordinates fled the scene of a deadly shooting, which he described as shameful.
What happened to the two officers who fled?
The two officers were suspended pending an investigation into their actions during the shooting, and a criminal case has been opened into their alleged negligence.
Will there be changes to gun laws in Ukraine after this?
There will be no mass check of gun owners, but the Interior Ministry will open expert discussions to prepare final legislation on civilian gun ownership.