In the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, National Police investigators entered information into the Unified Register of Pretrial Investigations regarding the holding of a university event outdoors while the "Air Alert" signal was in effect. The incident, which took place on September 8, 2026, sparked widespread resonance on social networks after a video was published online showing a crowd of students gathered outdoors during the siren. A criminal case has been opened under Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — official negligence.
Circumstances of the incident
According to a statement by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv, at around 11:10 law enforcement officers received a report about a violation of safety rules on the territory of an educational institution in the Darnytskyi district. An investigative-operational group from the district police department was dispatched to the scene. It has been preliminarily established that an event for the initiation of first-year students into the university was being held on the open territory of the University of Intellectual Property. Despite the "Air Alert" signal being announced, the organizers did not interrupt the event and did not direct the students to shelters, which is a direct violation of the current algorithm of actions.
Law enforcement response and course of the investigation
Kyiv police confirmed that investigators from the Darnytskyi department entered the corresponding information into the ERIR under Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code (official negligence). Law enforcement officers are establishing all the circumstances of the incident and the individuals responsible for organizing the event and violating safety rules. As the National Police reminded, Ukraine has a clear algorithm of actions during an air alert for educational institutions: all participants in the educational process are obliged to proceed immediately to shelters at both the yellow and the red level of danger.
New color-coded alert system in Kyiv
The incident occurred against the backdrop of a recent change in the system of alerts about aerial threats in the capital. From September 6, 2026, a new scheme has been in operation in Kyiv, in which the color of the signal indicates a specific type of danger. The "yellow" level means a drone threat — for example, when the movement of individual strike or reconnaissance drones is detected. The "red" level signals a massive drone threat, a missile threat, or a combined missile-drone threat. The introduction of color coding is intended to increase the informativeness of the alert and speed up citizens' reaction; however, as the case with the university showed, it does not rule out instances of the signal being ignored by event organizers.
Context: changes in the capital's operating regime
In parallel with the incident at the university, the Kyiv Defense Council decided to shorten the duration of the curfew in the capital. Changes to the curfew regime also affected the operating schedule of the city's public transport. According to the city authorities, these measures are aimed at optimizing the operation of the city's infrastructure amid ongoing aerial threats, while the requirements for complying with safety rules during alerts remain unchanged and mandatory for all entities, including educational institutions.
What the guilty face
Official negligence, provided for by Part 1 of Article 367 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, carries liability in the form of a fine, restriction of liberty, or deprivation of liberty for up to three years. The specific sanctions depend on the circumstances established by the investigation: the degree of guilt of the officials, the presence or absence of actual consequences for the health and lives of the students, and whether conditions were created for the potential death of people. The investigation is ongoing, and final conclusions on the case will be drawn upon completion of the pretrial proceedings.
