"Road mortality is a matter for the NSDC": Zelensky orders stricter liability for traffic violations after tragedy in Kyiv

President orders review of liability for traffic violations

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed the Cabinet of Ministers and the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) to comprehensively address the issue of stricter liability for violating traffic rules. This decision is a direct result of the review of an e-petition that reached the critical mass of signatures in June 2026. The head of state emphasized that the problem of road mortality must be elevated to the level of national security.

In a statement published on the official website of the President's Office, it was noted that Zelensky sent corresponding appeals to the Secretary of the NSDC, Ihor Klymenko, and the Prime Minister, Serhiy Kretskiy. The task for the agencies is clear: analyze the current situation, propose mechanisms for strengthening control and penalties, and inform the author of the petition about the results obtained.

Tragedy in Solomianskyi district: the story of the petition

The initiative, titled "Stop systematic traffic violators: road mortality must become a matter for the NSDC," appeared on the President's Office website on June 26, 2026. The author of the petition is Oleksiy Hlushych, the father of a 12-year-old boy who became a victim of a fatal traffic accident. Within a few weeks, the document gathered more than 26,000 signatures, exceeding the necessary threshold of 25,000 votes for mandatory consideration.

The tragedy, which became the catalyst for public resonance, occurred on June 5 around 17:30 in the Solomianskyi district of Kyiv, at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Ushynskyi streets (the Karavaevychi Dachi area). The driver of a Mercedes-Benz C300, at high speed, crashed into the structure of an underground pedestrian crossing. As a result of the accident, four people died: two district police officers, a woman, and a 12-year-old child. Three other victims were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity.

Systematic violator: investigation details

During the preliminary investigation, law enforcement agencies established shocking details regarding the behavior of the driver who committed the hit-and-run. For the Mercedes-Benz vehicle driven by the person responsible for the accident, 39 traffic violations had previously been recorded. The majority of these involved speeding, indicating a systematic disregard for safety rules.

The driver was detained by the police. He was informed of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (exceeding authority or official powers). Furthermore, it recently became known about new details that the police revealed during the verification of the driver's identity, although these data continue to be clarified by the investigation.

Contradictory data

In the context of appointing responsible persons for the implementation of the President's order, there are discrepancies in sources regarding personnel changes in the security block. According to the text of Zelensky's statement, the appeal is addressed to the Secretary of the NSDC, Ihor Klymenko. However, a number of analytical sources (BBC, Focus, Glavred) indicate that Klymenko's appointment to this position is a relatively recent event, replacing the previous secretary. This creates a context in which the new NSDC team receives its first serious challenge in the form of a request to reform road safety, which may affect the speed and priority of decision-making.