"Systemic impunity": what is known about the shelling of the building "112 Ukraine" in Kiev with a grenade launcher

The office of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, the government of the country, the Minister of the Interior Arsen Avakov, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine must condemn the violence against 112 Ukraine and the media in general. This opinion was expressed by Yegor Benkendorf, the general director of the television company, after the canal building was fired from a grenade launcher on the night of July 13.

"You must clearly and decisively say:" In Ukraine, force cannot be used with regard to the media. " The whole civilized world is expecting this from you, including the embassies of the G7 countries, where we have already asked for support, ”the statement said.

He also assured the staff of the channel that their safety would be fully ensured. In particular, the security of the building will intensify.

"I appeal to viewers and readers of the site" 112 ". We're. We stay on the air and on the Internet. All the information about the progress of the investigation will be on our air and on the website, ”said Benkendorf.

Recall, on the night of Saturday, July 13, the building of the TV channel “112 Ukraine”, located on Degtyaryovskaya Street in the Shevchenko district of Kiev, was shot from a grenade launcher. As a result of the incident no one was hurt. The police opened a criminal case under part 1 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine “Terrorist Act” and began a search for the shooter who left the grenade launcher shot out at the crime scene. It is noted that all materials of the investigation will be transferred to the SBU for further investigation.

“The prosecutor’s office has established that the pre-trial investigation will be carried out by investigators of the SBU. Now, in conjunction with the police and other law enforcement agencies, the security service is carrying out urgent investigative actions and search activities, ”the press service of the SBU later said.

The journalists of the video agency Ruptly, who arrived at the scene of the incident, filmed the consequences of the incident. The footage shows that the shot damaged the inscription "Channel" placed on the building.

The head of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine, Sergey Tomilenko, noted that the organizer of the terrorist act must be "punished properly." According to him, the war with the media - "this is a war against Ukraine."

“Systemic impunity for previous attacks on journalists and the media provoke new attacks. And the non-investigation of the arson of the premises of the national TV channel Inter in September 2016, the non-investigation of the cases of blocking the editorial offices of individual national and regional media, including the arsonings of the media editorial offices in Dnipropetrovsk region in previous years, all contributed to the organizers of today's terrorist attack, ”he wrote on Facebook .

In turn, the former leader of the Ukrainian radical organization Right Sector * Dmitry Yarosh commented on the shelling of "112 Ukraine". A deputy of the Verkhovna Rada advised journalists of “enemy channels” to resign from their media outlets, hinting at the possibility of physical violence. He also called for “shut up the throats” of those who are concerned about violations of people's rights and freedom of speech.

According to the owner of the TV channel "112 Ukraine" Taras Kozak, night shelling has become "another threat to independent media." He noted that representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Security Service of Ukraine did not respond to Yarosh’s statement.

“I once again urge law enforcement agencies to take up their immediate work and begin to prosecute the criminals, not the journalists. And I express my words of gratitude to all the staff of “112 Ukraine” for working in such conditions. Do not be afraid! We will force the authorities to act and protect their citizens, ”said Kozak.

We note that the shelling of the building of the TV channel from a grenade launcher occurred after the film “Untold History of Ukraine” was announced on “112 Ukraine”. At the same time, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, “threatened the TV channel with responsibility” for showing the tape, and the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting announced the beginning of the test of the TV channel.

The producer of the film by the American director of Ukrainian origin, Igor Lopatenok, was Oliver Stone, who in 2015 was included in the black list of 500 cultural figures who threaten Kiev’s safety.

To gallery page

The main speakers in the film were Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of the political council of the Ukrainian party Opposition Platform - For Life, Viktor Medvedchuk. In particular, they commented on the incident that occurred on November 25, 2018. Then three ships of the Ukrainian Navy - Berdyansk, Nikopol and Yany Kapu - illegally crossed the state border of the Russian Federation and entered the territorial waters of the country, ignoring the demands of the FSB border guards. As a result, the Russian border guards were forced to use force to detain vessels, on which there were 22 sailors and two SBU operatives. Later it turned out that they deliberately agreed to a violation of the established procedure for a sea crossing through the Kerch Strait. Currently, Ukrainian citizens are in custody.

* “The Right Sector” is a Ukrainian association of radical nationalist organizations, recognized as extremist and banned in Russia (decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 11/17/2014).