Men in sportswear were arrested by the police on the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. According to people familiar with the matter, there were over 100 people detained. The Pechersk police station confirmed it to a TV channel.
One of the employees of the police station confirmed that in a comment to a journalist of TV Channel 5.
However, journalists were not allowed inside the police station and were not given further comments. Every two or three minutes a few young men were released from the police station. There were many minors among them.
Many people gathered near the police station. These were the ones who have already been released, as well as the “support group” that were waiting for their friends. First, they refused to comment on the events, and even sprinkled water on the operator of 5 TV Channel. However, without the camera, later they said: they came to the Lavra for a holiday, but suddenly people wearing uniform, and red berets came out and started driving them out of the monastery area.
When a half of the people left the Lavra’s territory, someone in the crowd shout “Weapon!”. Then the security forces seized the young men and brought them to the police station. There, they recorded their passport data and explanations of why they were on the territory of the monastery. Then the young men were released.
According to the Kyiv Police Chief, Andriy Kryschenko, on the eve of the celebrations, law enforcement officers conducted serious preventive work with the organizers and participants of the events.
“I have reiterated that we will be able to protect all religious buildings and will not allow any acts of vandalism. The police do not need the help of outsiders unless they are members of public order protection bodies that are duly registered. We have enough forces and means to ensure order in the city,” Andriy Kryschenko summed up.