A Russian Federation (RF) military unit drove into the town Slavutych, north of Kyiv, on Saturday morning, March 26, taking over the local hospital and arresting mayor Yury Fomichev.
Within hours hours hundreds of local residents had gathered in front of the hospital in a mass demonstration denouncing the RF troopers. Some RF solders fired shots into the air, but the crowd ignored it, according to multiple videos from the scene and eyewitness accounts.
Located in north-central Ukraine near the Belarus border, Slavuych is best known as the home of hundreds of engineers and support staff who service the containment shelter at the nearby Chornobyl nuclear power station. By Ukrainian standards, Slavutych is considered relatively wealthy with a particularly well-educated population.
According to news reports, at least two RF armored cars carrying troops drove into the town shortly after daybreak. Although some territories north of Kyiv have seen severe fighting in Ukraine’s now month-long battle against RF invasion, Slavutych has seen no violence.
Olekasndr Pavliuk, head of the Kyiv regional administration, said the RF soldiers’ first move was to find and arrest Mayor Fomichev. HIs current location is not known to Ukrainian authorities, Pavliuk said.
The RF soldiers then moved to the town hospital and declared it under Kremlin control. Within three hours, between 700 and 1,000 Slavutych residents had gathered in front of the hospital, carrying Ukrainian flags and catcalling the Kremlin, sources from the scene showed. Speakers took turns making speeches and leading the crowd in chants.
Chants observed by KP included: “Everything will be Ukraine!”, “Putin is a scumbag!”, “Russian warship get f*cked”, “Glory to the nation!”, Death to the enemies! ”, and “ Slavutych is Ukraine! ”.
RF troops fired weapons on automatic into the air at least seven times, in an unsuccessful attempt to disperse the loud but per the videos peaceful crowd. Pavliuk alleged RF forces also used flash-bang grenades against the demonstrators, likewise without effect, but KP was not able to confirm this.
