KNU Rector Volodymyr Bugrov Comments on Student Protest Amid Sex Scandal

Volodymyr Bugrov, the rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, has made a statement regarding the student protest that occurred on April 1, 2023, amid a sex scandal linked to his persona. In his statement, which was shared on his Facebook page, Bugrov pointed out that the university is facing what he described as an attempt at raiding.

Bugrov emphasized that the upcoming rector elections, scheduled for May 2026, will 'objectively show' whether the university community trusts him. He also noted that any student at KNU interested in participating in the protest had the opportunity to exercise their right within the framework of an active educational process, stressing that the university administration imposed no restrictions.

'I personally engaged in a public dialogue with students in the Red Building, where anyone could ask questions or express their opinions,' Bugrov stated, highlighting the administration's openness to dialogue with students.

At the same time, the rector pointed out that the subject of the protest was an 'organized information attack' accompanied by 'unfounded manipulations and fakes' disseminated through Telegram channels. Bugrov claims that this situation benefits certain individuals who have vested interests in the property and land held by the university. He assured that he would fight for the university until the end, as long as he enjoys the community's trust.

'Whether the university community trusts me will be honestly and objectively shown in the rector elections of Taras Shevchenko National University in May. Perhaps this is what they fear, trying to unjustly remove me at the end of my five-year term, either through the courts, organized spam to state institutions, or simply by psychologically breaking me down,' Bugrov concluded.

For their part, representatives of the student parliament of KNU expressed that the protest was a direct reaction to the actions of the university administration and personally to Rector Bugrov. They noted that during the two-hour protest, Bugrov did not come out to the students, and during a conversation within the institution, he 'refused to meet the protesters' demands.'

'In response to the students' voiced demands, the rector directly refused to satisfy them. In particular, he declined to conduct an examination to refute or confirm the relevant video materials. The only concession he made was agreeing to resign early only if the appellate court declares him a corrupt individual,' stated the student parliament representatives.

Additionally, students reported that following the protest, they held a meeting with Mykola Trofymenko, the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Education and Science, who expressed his willingness to engage in resolving the situation.

It is worth noting that back in 2022, an anonymous Telegram channel published correspondence allegedly between Volodymyr Bugrov and female students of KNU, discussing sexual relationships and university operations. From an account signed 'Volodymyr Bugrov,' other users received pornographic images.

In March 2026, a nearly thirty-minute video surfaced showing footage from the 105th auditorium of the Red Building at KNU, where the Center for the Study of the Creative Heritage of Ivan Franko is located. The cameras captured sexual acts by a man resembling Bugrov.

Following the release of this video, representatives of the KNU Student Parliament inspected the 105th auditorium mentioned in the video and discovered 'intimate items' that also appeared in the footage. The students officially appealed to the rector, requesting an explanation regarding the circumstances surrounding the video's emergence and the use of the university auditorium.

In media comments, Volodymyr Bugrov has denied any involvement in the scandal, asserting that the person in the video is not him.