In Kharkiv, military units named ‘Kraken’ attacked a police checkpoint

In Kharkiv, on September 29th at 3:00 PM, at a stationary checkpoint, individuals in military uniforms (some of them bearing insignias of the “Kraken” unit) brandished rifles and ordered police officers and military personnel on duty at the checkpoint to lie on the ground.

Sources within law enforcement agencies provided this information. They also shared a video from a police officer’s body camera that captured the incident.

In the footage, it can be seen that four vehicles approached the checkpoint, from which about 20 individuals disembarked. They pointed their weapons at the police officers and military personnel, forcing them to lie face down on the ground and confiscated their service weapons. This lasted for about two minutes.

The individuals who took over the checkpoint stated that their military unit (Military Unit 0458) should not be subject to inspection at that checkpoint.

“We train every day so that you can stand here peacefully, so that you can conduct checks, so that no enemy special forces enter here. You should be helping us, not looking for enemies among us, got it? We train because tomorrow we are going on a combat mission, and my guys need to know how to protect you. So that such crap doesn’t happen again, and pass it on to other checkpoints,” one of the individuals in military uniform told the police officers at the seized checkpoint.

Afterward, the unidentified individuals left the checkpoint and departed.

Later, the Kharkiv Regional Police officially confirmed the information about the incident at the checkpoint where individuals in military uniforms with “Kraken” unit patches had threatened the police officers.

Law enforcement officials in the region shared this information on their Facebook page.

According to the police post, on September 29th, around 3:00 PM, four SUVs approached one of the checkpoints on the outskirts of Kharkiv. Men in military uniforms disembarked, threatened the entire combined unit, consisting of police officers, border guards, national guardsmen, and military law enforcement, with firearms. They demanded an end to vehicle inspections at their checkpoints. After a brief argument, they left the scene of the incident.

An investigative-operational group was dispatched to the scene to document the crime.

On the same day, investigators entered information into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations under Article 345, Part 1 (threat or violence against a law enforcement officer) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators from Kharkiv under the procedural guidance of the military prosecutor’s office.

“Reminder: At checkpoints, the police are carrying out their functional duties in accordance with current legislation in times of war to prevent the illegal entry of firearms, narcotics, and explosive materials into the Kharkiv region. Our defense forces are fighting for the independence of our state in heavy combat. The police’s task is to assist our soldiers in defending our country and ensuring respect for Ukrainian legislation. No one should be exempt from the law. We call on everyone, without exception, to respect the laws of Ukraine,” the police added.