Terror Attack in Holosiivsky: Police Fled, Shooter Had Legal Permit — Both Situations Now Under Investigation
# Six Dead, Police Who Abandoned Posts, and a Rifle With Permission Extended to December 2025: Kyiv Terror Attack on April 18 Raises Two Uncomfortable Questions About Police Selection Quality and Permit System Effectiveness Six people killed, police officers who abandoned their positions, and a rifle with an active permit extended until December 2025. The Kyiv terror attack on April 18 simultaneously raised two uncomfortable questions — about the quality of police recruitment and the effectiveness of the licensing system.
By Tetiana Suchkova-Ladik
April 19, 2026 · 2 min read
On the evening of April 18, a 58-year-old Moscow native who lived in Kyiv as an internally displaced person from Bakhmut opened fire on pedestrians on Demiyivska Street in the Holosiyiv District. He approached people at close range and fired single shots from a carbine — given the chaotic nature of the attack, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, civilians had almost no chance. Six people were killed and more than 15 were wounded. After the street, the man entered a Velmart supermarket and took hostages.
Forty minutes and one dead hostage
Negotiations lasted approximately 40 minutes. According to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, the shooter ignored any contact attempts — he did not even respond to an offer to bring in turnstiles for the wounded inside. After he shot one of the hostages, the KORD unit conducted an assault. The shooter was eliminated.
Simultaneously, an apartment where he was registered caught fire — the fire started at the same time as the terrorist attack. As reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, the man had previously been subject to criminal prosecution.
Police officers who left
The behavior of some patrol officers became a separate issue: according to media reports, several police officers abandoned their positions during the shooting. Klymenko ordered an internal investigation, with National Police Chief Ivan Vygovsky receiving the corresponding task. Police officers involved in the incident were suspended from duty.
"The investigation will establish the legality of police actions during the detention of terrorists."
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko
Kravchenko also confirmed the opening of criminal proceedings for improper performance of official duties — under the corresponding article of the Criminal Code. All collected information is being transferred to the State Bureau of Investigation.
Legal carbine and medical certificate with questions
The most acute systemic issue is the weapon. As Klymenko confirmed, the carbine was registered legally and was permitted for purchase by civilians. Moreover: in December 2025, the man personally brought it to the permit authorities, provided a medical certificate, and had his permit renewed.
- The investigation is checking which medical institution issued the certificate.
- The compatibility of a prior conviction and permit renewal for a weapon is also at the center of the investigation.
- Klymenko stated that there will be no mass inspections of weapon owners following the terrorist attack — and added that he supports the legalization of weapons for self-defense.
In other words, the minister, whose department is now investigating how a criminal with a prior conviction retained a legal weapons permit, simultaneously advocates for expanded access to weapons. This is not necessarily a contradiction — but it is precisely the argument that opponents of legalization will use first.
If the investigation establishes that the medical certificate was fraudulent or issued in violation of regulations, a concrete question arises: is it sufficient for Ukraine to strengthen control over the existing permit system — or is its architecture fundamentally not designed to check people with a criminal past?
