Following a fatal beating on Peremohн Square in Mykolaiv, the police explained how they are keeping the troubled area under control

The ATB supermarket on Peremohy Square, where an 18-year-old man was killed. Photo: NikVesti

The police do not plan to deploy a permanent patrol near the ATB supermarket on Peremohy Square in Mykolaiv, where an 18-year-old man was recently beaten to death.

Vitaliy Dushko, a spokesperson for the Mykolaiv Region Patrol Police, explained to NikVesti how law enforcement officers respond to crowds gathering in this area.

According to him, patrol officers on duty pay attention to places where large numbers of people gather, particularly near supermarkets. If law enforcement officers observe a breach of public order, they respond to the situation. Patrol officers also respond to calls if, for example, a dispute breaks out near a shop or people are playing loud music.

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If law enforcement officers record an administrative offence, they draw up the relevant reports. In particular, Vitalii Dushko cited as an example appearing in a public place whilst under the influence of alcohol, which is covered by Article 178 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

However, the mere fact that people are gathering near a supermarket does not constitute an offence.

According to Vitalii Dushko, if patrol officers on duty see a crowd of people and are not responding to another call at that moment, they may drive up and assess the situation. If necessary, the officers conduct preventive discussions.

«If there are no offences, then we are not prohibited from gathering anywhere, provided it does not break the law,» explained Vitalii Dushko.

As a reminder, late in the evening on 17 August, a brawl broke out in Mykolaiv near a supermarket on Kosmonavtiv Street. An 18-year-old man died at the scene after being struck on the head. The police arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of causing bodily harm resulting in the victim’s death.

On 19 August, the Inhulskyi District Court of Mykolaiv remanded the suspect in custody for 60 days without the right to bail. The decision was handed down by Judge Dmytro Hubnytskyi.

On20 August, concerned residents of Mykolaiv and the victim’s relatives held a protest on Peremoha Square. During the protest, residents spoke, in particular, about safety near the ATB supermarket and the defensive structures erected nearby, where, they said, people were gathering.

Six months ago, NikVesti reported that abandoned defensive fortifications and a derelict high-rise building in Mykolaiv had become a refuge for people without a permanent place of residence.

Later, Hanna Remennikova, head of the Inhulskyi District Administration in Mykolaiv, reported that attempts had already been made to evict the homeless people who had settled in the abandoned dugouts and the derelict high-rise building, but they kept returning.

Vitalii Lukov, Deputy Mayor of Mykolaiv, told NikVesti that the city authorities had repeatedly raised the issue with the military regarding the advisability of dismantling the defensive structures near the ATB supermarket. According to him, some of these structures in Mykolaiv have already been removed, but these dugouts remain for the time being, as the military considers them necessary for the city’s defence. The final decision on their dismantling is to be taken by the Mykolaiv Defence Headquarters.