Prosecutors Probe Police Negligence in Kyiv Terror Attack as Minister Backs Civilian Gun Rights

The State Bureau of Investigation is examining reports that officers failed to protect a child during the shooting, while Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko calls for a new law on armed self-defense. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Special team police officers attend outside a supermarket following a shooting in Kyiv on April 18, 2026. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google The State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) has launched a criminal proceeding into “service negligence” by police officers during the deadly terrorist attack in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district on April 18. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced on Sunday, April 19, that investigators are specifically examining reports of “shameful” conduct, including the alleged abandonment of a young child in danger and a failure to promptly neutralize the gunman. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . “All actions of law enforcement at the moment of a critical threat to citizens’ lives will receive a proper legal assessment,” Kravchenko stated. The case is being investigated under Article 367 of the Criminal Code, which carries heavy penalties for negligence leading to severe consequences. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed that the two officers first to arrive at the scene have been suspended. While praising the subsequent professional response of the KORD tactical unit, Klymenko described the initial police failure as a “disgrace to the entire system.” He also ordered a thorough investigation into how the 58-year-old attacker, who was born in Russia and had a criminal record, managed to obtain medical clearance for a firearm permit despite his clearly “unstable mental state.” In a significant policy shift following the tragedy, Minister Klymenko expressed support for the legal right of civilians to own firearms for self-defense. “I believe that people should receive the right to armed self-defense,” Klymenko stated, citing the experience of national resistance during the full-scale invasion. Other Topics of Interest Kyiv Supermarket Shooting Reclassified as Terrorist Act as Death Toll Rises to Six Following the liquidation of the 58-year-old gunman, investigators revealed he killed a couple whose child remains hospitalized, while the Interior Ministry ordered a probe into the police response. He announced upcoming expert discussions with lawmakers and the public to finalize a bill on civilian weaponry. The death toll from the attack remains at six, with 14 others wounded, including two children. The SBU continues to investigate the incident as a terrorist act , while the DBR focuses on the systemic failures that allowed the perpetrator to maintain access to a registered weapon and the initial breakdown in the police response. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.