In Kyiv, law enforcement officers have begun verifying information regarding the alleged beating of veteran and civic activist Volodymyr Balukh on the premises of the district territorial center for recruitment and social support (TCC & SS). This was reported by the Kyiv police.

According to information from the Kyiv police, the veteran filed a report about a beating directly on the premises of the Shevchenkivskyi district TCC. Currently, the man is in the hospital. An investigative and operational group has been sent to the medical facility to clarify all circumstances and take an official statement.

Member of Parliament Sofia Fedyna reported, that it concerns Volodymyr Balukh — a former political prisoner who was illegally detained by Russia for three years. According to her, Balukh has a Group II disability due to a metal plate in his skull. The MP, referring to Roman Chervinskyi, noted that the activist was detained on March 19 at 14:00 to prevent him from participating as an observer at a court hearing.

Member of Parliament Volodymyr Ariev added, that the reason for the detention was allegedly an "improperly documented" disability. According to his information, Balukh was beaten on the head on the TCC premises when he asked to return the confiscated phone, and then held in handcuffs all night. Ariev is convinced that the incident was not accidental and was related to the activist's harsh criticism of the authorities.

The veteran himself, in a comment to "Suspilne Crimea", stated about the injuries, noting that he has bruises on his chest and shoulder. He said that he first arrived at the Pechersk district department to give an explanation regarding allegedly obscene language directed at the prosecutor in the Chervinskyi case.

Position of the Kyiv TCC

In the capital's TCC, they confirmed the fact of Balukh's delivery to the center's premises due to a violation of military registration rules. They claim that information about his time in captivity was missing from the registers, and he allegedly did not have the right to a deferment, so he was sent to a military medical commission (MMC).

Subsequently, information about the disability was still pulled from other registers; however, the TCC emphasized that Balukh had not properly arranged the deferment. He was served a summons with a requirement to update his data and released. The military categorically denies accusations of beating or the use of handcuffs, assuring that no complaints were received from the detainee himself.

Who is Volodymyr Balukh

Volodymyr Hryhorovych Balukh is a well-known Crimean activist. After the occupation of the peninsula in 2014, he openly demonstrated a pro-Ukrainian position by flying the flag of Ukraine over his house in the village of Serebryanka. In 2016, he was arrested by the occupation authorities on a fabricated case. After almost three years of imprisonment, he returned home in September 2019 during a prisoner exchange. With the start of the full-scale invasion, Volodymyr Balukh joined the ranks of the Territorial Defense of the AFU.

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