What happened
In the center of Kyiv, police officers and the State Emergency Service rescued children who had ended up in a storm sewer on Khreshchatyk. The information was released by the news agency UNN, citing Oleksii Biloshytskyi, First Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department.
The children were found in the underground network — they were freezing and calling for help. Patrol officers calmed them, rescuers retrieved them from the underground, and juvenile prevention officers worked at the scene.
“Patrol officers calmed the lost children, and rescuers extracted them from an underground trap. Fortunately, they are all right. Juvenile prevention officers are establishing all the circumstances at the scene.”
— Oleksii Biloshytskyi, First Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department
Why this matters
The sewer network is not a place for children: it is a labyrinth where collapses, leaks of toxic gases, or sudden flooding can occur. The very fact that the children ended up there alive is the result of coordinated work by the services, but it is also a signal of potential problems with the safety of urban spaces and with oversight of the technical condition of inspection manholes.
“I appeal to parents: talk to your children about safety. Explain that curiosity should not put them at risk. Our shared responsibility is to preserve their lives and health.”
— Oleksii Biloshytskyi, First Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department
What parents and the city should do
First, talking with children about simple safety rules works: curiosity is natural, but knowing limits saves lives. Second, residents should report open or damaged manholes and other infrastructure risks, and authorities should inspect networks more regularly and mark dangerous zones.
Such an incident also highlights the role of the services: the quick response of the police and the State Emergency Service minimized the risk of a tragedy. Separately, the police reported that another case — when a police officer and two cadets from the National Academy of Internal Affairs rescued a 22‑year‑old man who threatened to jump from a balcony — shows how multifaceted the work of law enforcement and rescuers in the city is today.
Conclusion
The incident on Khreshchatyk is a reminder that children's safety depends not only on the promptness of the services but also on preventive actions by parents and the quality of urban infrastructure. The question is simple: are we ready to turn such incidents into a catalyst for systemic change, and not just a local alarm?
