Kyiv police open criminal case over student initiation during air‑raid alert

Kyiv police have opened a criminal investigation after a university in the Darnytskyi district held an initiation ceremony for first‑year students while an air‑raid alert was in force.

According to police, the report was received at about 11:10 a.m. The ceremony proceeded on an open campus area after the alert sounded, and the students were not directed to a shelter. An investigative team arrived on site and entered the case into the Unified Register of Pre‑Trial Investigations under Part 1 of Article 367 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which covers official negligence.

Ukrainian media identify the institution as the Kyiv University of Intellectual Property and Law. The event announcement for 8 September listed a formal initiation ceremony and named singer Natalia Mohylevska among the participants.

The incident gained extra attention because a large‑scale Russian strike hit Kyiv on 8 September, causing deaths and injuries, and city officials had repeatedly urged residents to remain in shelters during alerts. Organizers now face legal proceedings to explain why the ceremony took precedence over safety requirements.