Police respond to video of pseudo-veterans begging by Kyiv mall

That’s according to the Kyiv Police, Ukrinform reported.

“During social media monitoring, law enforcers saw an Instagram video where two men, one with signs of disability, and the other sporting military uniform without insignia, asking people for money outside a shopping center in Darnytsia district, introducing themselves as former soldiers. When speaking with the author of the video, who is an actual war veteran, the two men complained about the alleged lack of social payments, which they claimed forced them to beg on the streets,” the report says.

As noted by the police, the specified post gained about 200,000 views and was actively shared by users across social media platforms.

During the verification of the report, the Kyiv police identified all participants in the video.

The pseudo-soldiers turned out to be a 39-year-old Kyiv resident and a 34-year-old native of Kherson, who recently moved to the capital. Both have a history of repeated criminal offenses, including theft and drug-related crimes.

 “The men found themselves in a difficult situation and decided to ask shopping mall visitors for material assistance. According to the latter, during a interaction with one of the shoppers, they misled their interlocutor about their alleged history of military service so the latter latter went on to post the relevant video to a wide audience,” the police reported.

Law enforcers explained to those involved that spreading false information is unacceptable, also offering them contact information of social assistance services.

The police call on bloggers and media figures to verify information before making it public, and recommends that citizens be critical of provocative content circulating online.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, fraudsters have become more active in Kyiv region, trying to trick businessmen into donating money for the army, posing as mediators acting on behalf of the regional state administration chief.