Murder of the TRC military in Poltava region. Court arrests suspect Vadym Kuzub — he pleads guilty (UPD)

Author:
Iryna Perepechko
Date:

The Pyriatyn District Court of the Poltava region arrested Vadym Kuzub, a resident of the city of Lubny, Poltava region. He is suspected of shooting the TRC serviceman in Pyriatyn.

This is reported by the Graty correspondent from the courtroom.

According to the investigation, on January 31, the suspect wanted to help his roommateʼs relative Yevhen Shcherbak, who was mobilized, escape from the TRC. When Shcherbak, along with other mobilized people, was being taken to a military unit for training, he informed Kuzub of their route by phone.

When the bus stopped at a gas station in Pyriatyn, Poltava region, Kuzub arrived with a gun. He shot the military police officer, took his machine gun, and fled with Shcherbak.

At the trial, Kuzub pleaded guilty. He said he wanted to scare the soldiers with the TRC, but he failed, and then he shot. According to him, he hoped that he had only wounded the soldier, not killed him.

The Pyriatyn District Court also remanded Yevhen Shcherbak in custody, who also pleaded guilty. According to him, he and Vadym Kuzub fled the scene of the crime because they were afraid that they would be shot by the military.

What preceded

It is known that an attacker in a gray balaclava and pixel pants approached a serviceman of the Poltava TRC Oleksandr Sokolchuk at a gas station in the city of Pyriatyn in the Poltava region and demanded to hand over his weapon. Having received a refusal, he shot — the soldier died on the spot. Emergency aid from the senior commander and rehabilitation measures by doctors did not help. The deceased serviceman is survived by his wife, children, and parents.

A few hours later, the alleged murderer and the weapon were found. A man who had fled with the attacker was mobilized with him. They were detained. The next day, February 2, two men — residents of Lubny and Poltava — were informed of the suspicion.

Law enforcement officers searched the men and seized two cases of hand grenades, a hunting rifle, cartridges, a balaclava, mobile phones, etc. from the Lubenets. The deceased TRC employeeʼs assault rifle was found in a forest plantation, where the suspects had abandoned it.

The command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine demands the strictest punishment for the guilty. The murder of a serviceman in the line of duty is a serious crime that must be investigated as soon as possible. They also expressed condolences to the family and emphasized that the death of a serviceman will not go unpunished.

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