Ukraine hostage situation flares up as man threatens to detonate explosive device in Kiev

The Interior Ministry of Ukraine reportedly said on August 3, that a man has taken one hostage and threatened to detonate an explosive device in the bustling business centre in Kiev. Deputy interior minister Anton Gerashchenko shared on Facebook that the man carrying a backpack suddenly entered a bank in the Leonardo business centre situated in central Kyiv claiming he had a bomb.

Gerashchenko said that the man demanded to call the police but has allowed the bank employees to leave the building. 
Gerashchenko reportedly added that a woman who is the head of the bank's branch chose to stay in the building. Gerashchenko added that law enforcement is currently negotiating with the man and has urged him to surrender. 

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12-hour-long stand-off

Similarly, a 12-hour-long standoff between the ‘unstable’ armed man who took 13 hostages on a bus and police officials in Ukraine was put to an end by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promoting a Joaquin Phoenix’s 2005 film, Earthlings. In the morning of July 21, a man now identified as 44-year-old Maksym Kryvosh seized a long-distance bus in country’s northwestern region Lutsk but only freed all the people after Zelensky fulfilled his demand of giving a film recommendation that was delivered by the Ukrainian President over Facebook. In a video released on the social network, Zelensky said, “The film Earthlings from 2005. Everyone should watch it.” 

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The video was posted by the Ukrainian President after at least a 15-minute phone call with Kryvosh. Shortly after Zelensky recommended the movie, the hostage-taker walked out of the bus and surrendered to the police. The video was then deleted from Zelensky’s account and instead, posted a statement expressing gratitude to all the people who worked tirelessly to contain the unprecedented situation. No serious injuries were suffered by any police official or hostage but a bullet did go over the police officer’s head. Zelensky said on Facebook, “Human life is the most important value. We haven't lost anyone.”

According to reports, while speaking to journalists, Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov described the assailant as “an unstable man who painted his vision of the world and invented revenge for it. Avakov also said, “he had his own vision of justice and the value of human life”. 

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Image: AP