Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Valentyn Nalyvaichenko has reported the detention of a native of Kursk (Russia), who is believed to be involved in an attempt on the life of Volodymyr Borysenko, a Ukrainian parliamentary candidate running at constituency No. 98 in Boryspil (Kyiv region).
“We have already detained a native of the city of Kursk. We are interrogating him due to the situation in Boryspil,” he said in an interview with the TVi television channel on Oct. 21, noting that more information on the case will be made public on Oct. 22.
Nalyvaichenko made it clear that an attempt on Borysenko’s life could have been staged. He said that this case would not just be investigated, but “details will be released, and they, in our opinion, should stop others who are going to buy hand grenades, hire criminals and pretend that an attempt on their lives was made.”
“Stop! It has nothing to do with the election campaign,” he added.
As reported, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister, Anton Heraschenko, said earlier that on October 20, a RGD-5 grenade was hurled at Borysenko and that he was fired at with a short-barreled rifle. On October 19, the parliamentary candidate started receiving threatening messages, therefore he was wearing a bulletproof vest.
The press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office reported that Borysenko came under fire when he entered his house and that an unknown device blasted near him several seconds later. He was taken to hospital with a soft tissue injury.
The investigative department of the SBU office in Kyiv region launched criminal proceedings under Part 1, Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (an attempt on a person’s life), but later the case was reclassified into a terrorist attack (Part 1, Article 258 of the Criminal Code).
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered Nalyvaichenko to urgently investigate the incident with the candidate for MP.
Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine will take place on Oct. 26.
