Driver who killed Vladimir Maibozhenko gets off with a fine

Former chairman of the Brovary district council Vladimir Maibozhenko has found himself at the centre of a major scandal over a high-profile traffic accident committed while under the influence of alcohol. 

The incident occurred in April 2024, when Maibozhenko, while driving, mounted the green zone near one of the fast-food restaurants in the city. His actions resulted in him hitting four local residents, including a child. All the victims sustained serious injuries.

On 27 January 2025, Brovary court judge Tatyana Vasilenko read out the verdict in this criminal case. Maibozhenko was ordered to pay a fine of 34,000 hryvnia, as well as reimburse court costs amounting to 31,400 hryvnia. In addition, the former official was banned from driving for three years. Nevertheless, his personal Volvo, which had been held on a penalty parking lot, will be returned to him.

Local residents expressed outrage at the leniency of the verdict. Many believe that such a court decision is a demonstration of the system's injustice. Media figure Andriy Kachor commented on the event, stating that if an ordinary citizen had found themselves in a similar situation, the punishment would have been much stricter.

«Сегодняшний приговор — это показательный ответ властей на запрос общества о справедливости. Это сигнал чиновникам: для них закон, похоже, не писан» (Today's verdict is a demonstrative response by the authorities to society's demand for justice. It is a signal to officials: for them, the law seems to be unwritten), Kachor noted.