Veterans and families of fallen soldiers in Kyiv have called for the resignation of Maxim Bakhmatov, the head of the Desnyansky District State Administration (RDA), due to ongoing conflicts surrounding the management of the Heroes Alley memorial.
A military official reported that complaints from the veteran community regarding Bakhmatov’s leadership have been persistent, but the situation has recently escalated. “I have long heard grievances from the veteran community regarding the head of the Desnyansky District in Kyiv, Bakhmatov. The situation has reached a critical point. The district head is in constant conflict with veterans and the families of defenders, including those of fallen soldiers, and is completely incapable of even communicating properly with them,” wrote Maksym Zhorin, the deputy commander of the 3rd Army Corps.
The conflict intensified following the inauguration of the Heroes Alley in the Desnyansky District. “Everything became complicated after the scandal regarding the memorial, for which he is also unable to provide public clarification. Veterans and families of the deceased deserve respect and proper communication, not rudeness or neglect. Allowing such behavior sends a very bad signal to the entire veteran community,” Zhorin emphasized.
Context
- On July 8, veterans, servicemen, and families of the deceased staged a protest outside the Desnyansky RDA building in Kyiv, demanding President Ukraine dismiss Bakhmatov. They claimed that during the construction of the Heroes Alley, concrete posts with small black-and-white photographs were installed instead of the anti-vandal monuments specified in the project.
- According to the organizers, the appeal to the president was supported by veteran organizations from Desnyansky, Sviatoshynskyi, Dniprovskyi, Obolonskyi, Darnytskyi, and Solomianskyi districts of Kyiv, as well as current servicemen, families of fallen defenders, volunteers, and capital residents.
