On the evening of May 21, an alert group from the Shevchenko District TCC and SES stopped a vehicle on Stetsenko Street to check military registration documents. The driver turned out to be Artem Moroz — a war veteran, active serviceman, and person with Group I disability as a result of wounds and amputations sustained during service.
A dispute erupted between the parties over military service. What followed were blows to the body from a 35-year-old TCC serviceman and tear gas to the face from a 38-year-old member of a voluntary territorial community formation (DFTG).
«After the incident, unidentified individuals in balaclavas, along with a police officer, forced her to delete the video recording of the event, after which they hastily left the scene»
— war veteran's wife Olesya Zhdanova
This episode is not simply a conflict during a check. It captures three levels of problems simultaneously.
Who had the right to stop and what crossed the line
TCC alert groups have the authority to check documents, but have no right to use physical force or special means outside clearly defined grounds. Moroz — a veteran with Group I disability — is legally exempt from mobilization. That is, a conflict «over military service» arose where it should not have existed at all.
Qualification that stands out
Forensic examination recorded bruises and classified them as minor bodily injuries. Investigators from the Shevchenko Police Department announced a suspicion under Part 1 of Article 125 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction — a fine or restriction of liberty up to two years. Notably: previously, another TCC official received a suspicion for beating a 60-year-old man with a broken arm — also for «minor bodily injuries.»
- Blows to the body of a prosthetic-wearing veteran — Part 1 Art. 125 CCU
- Use of tear gas — Part 1 Art. 125 CCU
- Coercion of a witness to delete video — not mentioned in the suspicion
Suspicion exists. Cases — do not yet
Pre-trial investigation is ongoing. A suspicion is neither an accusation nor a verdict. Both suspects remain at large, their procedural status within their own units has not been publicly changed. Kyiv police confirmed the fact of investigation but did not report any disciplinary measures from the TCC or command.
If the case reaches court and the court limits itself to the minimum sanction under Art. 125 — a fine — it will become a precedent: the use of force against a disabled veteran during a check that was unlawful in essence will cost less than an administrative violation for a traffic law breach.
