A soldier in Kryvyi Rih shot from a balcony at a playground and wounded a 10-year-old boy
In a country where a full-scale war continues for the fourth year, weapons, not even combat, but traumatic or pneumatic, are increasingly falling into the hands of people who do not control their own actions. The number of incidents involving shootings in public places is predicted to increase. This has become part of the new reality of a country at war, where the excessive number of weapons on hand, the mental instability of part of the military on leave, the trauma of war and the general atmosphere of tension turn into a mixture that explodes suddenly – and often in the most unexpected places. It is especially terrible when the victims of this shooting are children – those whom the army is supposed to protect from all the risks of war.
On June 20, 2025, an incident occurred in Kryvyi Rih that caused deep indignation and alarm: a man in military uniform, while on vacation, opened fire from a balcony on a children’s playground. By data according to local sources, including “Dnipro Operative. War”, the incident took place on the fourth floor of a high-rise building, where a soldier fired at least four shots from an air pistol. The weapon fired metal balls, which, despite not being of a combat nature, pose a real threat to health.
One of the bullets hit a 10-year-old boy in the head, who was playing on the playground next to the house. It is currently known that the child was injured, the nature of the injury and its severity are being determined by doctors. It is also known that the child was hospitalized and is under the supervision of doctors.
An investigation into the shooting has already begun. The State Bureau of Investigation opened criminal proceedings under Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — hooliganism with the use of weapons, part four. This article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of up to seven years. The investigation is ongoing, witness interrogations and expert examinations are being conducted.
This case attracted special attention not only because of its brutality, but also because of the moral side of the incident. After all, the person who opened fire is a military man. A person who, in the conditions of war, is called to defend peaceful citizens, to protect them, especially children. And it was this person who turned into a threat – armed, uncontrolled, aggressive. It is a painful reminder of how thin the line is between the front and the rear, between heroism and irresponsibility, between protection and violence.
Ukrainian society is already used to the presence of the military in cities and villages — in uniform, with chevrons, in transport, on the streets, in houses. We support the army, we perceive it as the main guarantee of the state’s survival. However, every time one of its representatives violates this code of trust, especially when it comes to children, there is a need to voice painful questions: are the mechanisms of military psychological rehabilitation working effectively enough? Are the handling of weapons, even pneumatic ones, strictly controlled enough? Can we be sure of the safety of the civilian population when soldiers returning from the front do not undergo mandatory psychological and emotional testing?
The story that happened in Kryvyi Rih actualizes several problems at once: the prevalence of weapons, the lack of effective control over their use, as well as the lack of tools for the psychological support of servicemen during and after rotations. It also points to the need for stricter regulation of access to even non-combat weapons in cities where civilian families live next to military personnel. In a country experiencing war, cases of aggression with weapons in a peaceful environment cannot remain without a response. What is needed is not only investigations and convictions, but systemic solutions that minimize the risks to the civilian population — especially children.
