A soldier suspected of murdering a civilian at a military recruitment center in Sumy will not be taken into custody.

A serviceman suspected of killing a man through negligence at the Sumy TCC and SP has been released under personal obligations. This decision was made by the court on January 2, following a request from the prosecution.

According to Suspilne, on January 1, 2025, the suspect was officially charged with manslaughter due to negligence, and a preventive measure was chosen. The prosecution insisted on personal obligations as the preventive measure.

As stated by Natalia Skachedub, the aunt of the deceased Yevhen Kryvodub, the man was taken to the TCC on December 29, 2024. The next day, he was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, and on December 31, the family received notification of his death.

The police established that a conflict occurred between Kryvodub and the serviceman, during which the suspect inflicted injuries on the victim. As a result of one of the blows, Kryvodub fell and struck his head hard against the stairs, leading to his death. Oleksandr Bondarenko, the head of the press service of the Sumy TCC and SP, reported that the suspect is not an employee of the TCC.

Details of the Conflict

In response to a request from Suspilne, the Sumy Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense for the Central region provided comments regarding the incident. The office reported that on December 29, around 18:00, the suspect serviceman was on the territory of the Sumy TCC, where he encountered Yevhen Kryvodub on the stairs. During their conversation, a dispute arose, during which the serviceman struck Kryvodub on the chin. The man lost his balance and fell headfirst onto the concrete stairs. He died from his injuries in the hospital on December 31.

On January 1, the serviceman was informed of the suspicion of manslaughter due to negligence (part 1 of Article 119 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), and a preventive measure was determined. The investigation is ongoing. The details of the conflict at the TCC were shared by the deceased's aunt, Natalia Skachedub. She reported that on December 29 at 15:01, her nephew called to inform her that he was being taken to the war. The next day, the family learned that he was in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury, and on December 31, he died.

The National Police established that during the height of the argument, the serviceman lost control and struck the man. The victim succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. A criminal proceeding has been opened in this case, with penalties ranging from three to five years of restriction of liberty or imprisonment for the same period.

Incidents of men being beaten within the TCC walls are a separate story. For instance, at the municipal TCC in Ternopil, men were nearly beaten to death: two burly servicemen brutally assaulted the men, while three others stood by and calmly watched.