Local authorities demand transparency and proper response from the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the safety of city leaders and public figures
The Association of Ukrainian Cities emphasizes the need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the security of local government heads and civic activists, including Dnipro Mayor Boris Filatov, and highlights significant shortcomings in law enforcement work. After discovering dossiers in the phone of V'yacheslav Zinchuk, accused of the Iryna Fariон murder, which included information on activists and the mayor himself, the public and authorities are outraged by police's delays in issuing warnings and official communication. Dnipro's mayor addressed Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko with questions as to why he was not informed about the potential threat in a timely manner, especially since journalists were the first to learn about the dossiers stored in Zinchuk's phone. Meanwhile, the reaction from law enforcement was remarkably strange: instead of taking decisive action and providing explanations, they stated that the case did not contain evidence of planned crimes against activists or officials. Just days later, Minister Klymenko publicly announced a possible threat to MP Buzhansky, based on the same dossier found on the detainee’s device. This raised further questions about the reliability of official information and the effectiveness of law enforcement work, as well as concerns about transparency. Boris Filatov reiterated in a subsequent appeal that neither he nor activist Serhiy Sterenko, whose dossier was also found, received any official warnings or notifications. The Ukrainian Cities Association calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to disclose full information and implement measures to prevent illegal actions against civic leaders and city officials to restore public trust in law enforcement and ensure community safety.