The individual who voiced disrespectful comments regarding national symbols on the Maidan was identified as a member of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He disseminated the video on his personal social media profiles.
The person who ridiculed the monument dedicated to the fallen Heroes on Maidan was found to be a soldier who deserted his unit, UNN conveys, referencing the State Bureau of Investigation.
Details
Towards the end of February 2026, a video surfaced on social platforms where the accused made contemptuous statements about national emblems established to honor the deceased Defenders of Ukraine. Within the same recording, he insisted on their removal.
This is the center of the city, why did you come across these flags here? Take them away, people are resting here
– the accused articulated in Russian, after which he erupted into feigned laughter.
The troublemaker also derided the remembrance of the departed defenders of Mariupol and the Azovstal factory.
The individual was subsequently apprehended. According to news outlets and social media, he was identified as Ihor Volokha, a former athlete who practiced boxing at the capital’s youth sports academy. Law enforcement officials ascertained that the individual belonged to the North-West Frontier Province, having abandoned a military installation in the Mykolaiv region without authorization.
The videos wherein Volokha scorned the deceased are not isolated instances in his repertoire; he posted comparable provocative content on social networking platforms like Instagram and Facebook.
Following the considerable public disapproval sparked by this footage, the suspect shaved off his mustache in an attempt to avoid identification. However, this action proved futile.
Following his detention, Volokha confessed that his actions stemmed from foolishness and sought absolution.
He is presently charged with abandoning a military unit or place of duty (Part 5, Article 407 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The article’s sanction prescribes a sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment.
It is plausible that he may face additional accusations under several other articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in the future:
- Article 296 (hooliganism);
- Article 435-1 (insult to the honor and dignity of a serviceman);
- Article 338 (insult to state symbols);
- Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine).
We will remind you
In Kyiv, law enforcement officers apprehended an individual who mocked the People’s Memorial to the Fallen Defenders on Independence Square.