Police launch investigation into closed shelter in Mykolaiv during attack

In Mykolaiv, teenagers could not get into a shelter during a rocket attack because the doors were locked. The police have opened a case and are investigating who is responsible for the inaccessible shelter.

This was reported by the press service of the National Police in Mykolaiv region.

In Mykolaiv, investigators opened criminal proceedings over an incident involving a closed shelter that teenagers could not get into during a nighttime missile attack. The incident occurred on the night of August 2 to 3, when the city was on air alert.

The problem became known thanks to a post on social media: eyewitnesses reported that in one of the residential areas of the regional center, a group of minors was left outside because the doors of the nearest shelter were locked. The teenagers were under a real threat because they could not hide from possible missile attacks.

The police responded to the report and verified the information. Investigation Department No. 3 of the Mykolaiv District Police opened proceedings under Part 1 of Article 135 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - leaving in danger. The sanction of this article provides for punishment in the form of restriction of liberty or imprisonment for up to two years.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcers are establishing who was responsible for access to the shelter, why it was inaccessible at the critical moment, and finding out all the circumstances of the incident.

The police also appealed to the city's residents not to ignore such incidents and to report them to the relevant authorities.

The day before, local residents discovered a locked shelter in Mykolaiv's Korabelnyi district during an air raid. Among them were families with children who could not get inside. People were outraged and shared this in house chats and social media, emphasizing that the closed shelter put them in danger.

In February, during the air raid, a resident of Mykolaiv with her child found herself in a dangerous situation: they came to school for classes, but at the time of the shelling they could not hide in the shelter because it was closed. According to the woman, the door to the shelter was not open, and the school employee explained that she did not know about the alarm. At the time, there were also other children in the room playing sports.

Amid similar incidents, Ukraine plans to build nearly 14,000 new shelters by 2034. The Cabinet of Ministers has already approved the relevant strategy for the development of protective structures. The total cost of the project is more than UAH 789 billion, most of which is expected to be received through international assistance.

Анна Бальчінос