Ex-judge from Kiev opened fire because of remarks about loud Russian music

A former judge of the Shevchenko district Court of Kiev was charged with hooliganism with the use of firearms after a conflict that arose due to loud listening to music in Russian. This was announced on July 15 by the press service of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's office.

According to the investigation, the incident occurred in early May 2026. Then the acting judge was reprimanded because of the loud music — he was listening to it in his car near the playground. The man did not like the remark: he got out of the car and started a conflict with local residents.

"The judge reacted to the remark with foul language, got out of the car and started a conflict. During the quarrel, he took out a firearm belonging to him, defiantly put it on alert and sent it towards his opponents," the department's Telegram channel says.

According to the Kiev prosecutor's office, one of the participants in the conflict tried to neutralize the judge by knocking him to the ground. However, he managed to fire three shots. He did not hit the targets, but he created a threat to the lives and health of people nearby.

Following the results of the pre-trial investigation, the former judge was charged under Part 4 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine ("Hooliganism committed with particular audacity, using firearms").

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On June 18, the Ukrainian TV channel "Public" reported that deputies of the city council of Kropyvnytskyi (formerly Kirovograd) had imposed a moratorium on the public use of any Russian-language product. The document provides for a complete ban on the reproduction of audio and video materials in Russian, including music and films. Any public events, including concerts, are also subject to restrictions.