Ukraine: Armed man frees hostages after President endorses Joaquin Phoenix film in video

Over 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.”

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.”

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Negotiations with ‘unstable’ man

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”. 

During the crisis, the man not only opened fire at the police authorities but also threw a grenade at a police drone. Meanwhile, the Kryvosh was reportedly in contact with journalists and monitored his social media account while keeping more than a dozen people hostage. However, his Twitter account was eventually deactivated. It was one of the hostages who spoke to a journalist over the phone during the crisis that pleaded them to put the armed man in touch with the Ukrainian President. Then, Zelensky directly spoke with him.

Throughout the hours-long standoff between Kryvosh and the police officials, from him asking water for hostages to first releasing only three hostages and then all 13, the updates were being posted on Facebook. Even the moment when the first deputy head of the police Eugene Koval committed to water for hostages and was burst with a shot. Watch the video when hostages were freed:

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(With inputs from agency)