Ukraine police chief resigns after officers reportedly fled Kyiv shooting

A police chief in Ukraine has resigned after officers reportedly fled the scene of a shooting in Kyiv which killed seven people.

Stepping down from his post, Yevhen Zhukov, the head of Ukraine's patrol police, accused some of his officers of acting "unprofessionally and disgracefully" and leaving "civilians in danger".

It comes after the incident on Saturday, when a Russian-born man opened fire on people in the street with an automatic rifle before barricading himself in a supermarket with hostages.

He was later shot dead when police stormed the building.

An investigation has been launched after unverified footage on social media appeared to show officers fleeing the scene amid gunfire.

Ukraine's interior minister Ihor Klymenko said their behaviour was "a disgrace to the entire system".

Footage also showed police taking cover in the shopping centre that housed the supermarket while shots were fired, reported the Associated Press.

According to RBC Ukraine, an online media outlet, Mr Zhukov said: "The police officers acted unprofessionally and disgracefully.

"As police officers, they should have been helping and rescuing our citizens.

"But they failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger.

"As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold."

On Monday, the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko, said a seventh victim had died in hospital after the incident in the capital's Holosiivskyi district.

A further seven people, including a child, are still in hospital, with four of the adults in intensive care, he added.

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He earlier revealed that both the parents of the injured child had died in the incident.

Shootings of this kind are rare in Ukraine and the country's security service said it was being investigated as a terrorist act.

(c) Sky News 2026: Ukraine police chief resigns after officers reportedly fled Kyiv shooting