Transport collapse and detention using armored vehicles: what is known about the capture of the Metro bridge in Kiev

On Wednesday, September 18, an emergency happened in Kiev: a man with a firearm stopped traffic on the transport bridge connecting the left and right banks of the Ukrainian capital. He fired several shots into the air and began to threaten to blow up the structure.

The incident led to a traffic collapse in the city and paralyzed the movement of cars and public transport for several hours.

Timeline

At about 16:00 local time on the Metro bridge, the man stopped his car, got out of it, after which he started firing and threatening to make an explosion. Law enforcement officers arrived at the scene. Armored personnel carriers also drove to the transport facility, and snipers were seen around the perimeter.

“We are conducting a special police operation. Now there are representatives of all services. The movement of cars and trains on the bridge is blocked. Investigators of the metropolitan police qualify the incident as preparation for a terrorist attack, ”said Andrei Kryshchenko, head of the national police in Kiev.

As a result of blocking traffic along one of the main transport arteries in Kiev, large traffic jams formed in the city. In addition, the movement of metro trains at several stations was stopped.

• Screenshot of the information portal of the city of Kiev

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko also arrived at the scene of the incident, who reached the bridge by bicycle. He said that the attacker is in an inadequate state, while he shot down a quadrocopter.

At the same time, theBabel, citing its own sources, reported that 42-year-old Crimean native Aleksey Belko was the alleged terrorist.

In addition, Ukrainian media reported that the man allegedly participated in hostilities in the Donbass, had the rank of senior sergeant, and held the position of head of the radio station of the radio center of the field communications center of military unit A 3628, located in Brovary, Kiev region. In June 2019, he was tried in the case of unauthorized excommunication from a military unit. He received seven days of guardhouse.

Around 19:20, a special operation of the security forces began, which moved towards the attacker under the cover of an armored personnel carrier. After 10 minutes, a detention took place.

According to the head of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kiev, Andrey Krischenko, during the inspection of the detainee no explosive substances were found, and he himself is probably under the influence of some drugs.

“We will carry out the relevant examinations, take his analyzes,” he said. Krishchenko pointed out that the detainee was dismissed from military service in June.

“Three months ago, explosives were already seized from him, so during the operation we believed that his threats were real ... Three months ago, two kilos of explosives and a lot of ammunition were seized from him,” he said.

The head of the Kiev national police added that the man under the article "preparing a terrorist attack" faces life imprisonment. According to Krishchenko, about 350 employees of various departments and units took part in the special operation.

In turn, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov said that during the operation, victims and losses were avoided, and the attacker has already been taken to the police department. Avakov also expressed gratitude to the special police unit.

"All right! The bridge will not explode. Miner is detained. Everybody is alive! Thank you for the police service! KORD special forces are handsome, ”Avakov wrote on Twitter.

He also attached photographs from the moment of detention to the post.

"Where did he get the guns?"

According to a RT source at the National Police, this is the most high-profile incident in Kiev over the past five years.

“The detainee is facing a life sentence - the prosecution will insist on this. As far as I know, the detainee was already held accountable for the storage of explosives, left the military unit without permission and demanded to speak with his girlfriend. He was under the influence of drugs. The detainee did not give clear explanations to his behavior. He was frightened when they informed him of his intention to use weapons against him, ”the source said.

In turn, the representative of the Batkivshchyna party believes that such an incident could have occurred in any city in Ukraine.

“A man was able to shoot a drone out of a weapon. Question: where did he get the weapon? And why wasn’t a person with such negative experience in the army controlled? Who knows how many more people who are dissatisfied with their lives with weapons are walking along the streets of Ukrainian cities, ”the source said.

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According to a member of the Golos party, the fact that Ukraine does not have any rehabilitation procedure for the military led to the state of emergency.

“Obviously, the man who paralyzed the whole city needed treatment. It is good that he did not fulfill his threat and did not blow up the bridge, which would then have to be rebuilt for several years. The current situation makes us think that it is necessary to end this senseless war in the east of the country. Otherwise, its results will soon appear in every region, ”the source added.