Zelensky kicks away deputy who attacked participants of cross procession

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. Photo: ukr.media

On Wednesday, July 10, during the working meeting in Borispol, a skirmish occurred between the head of state, Vladimir Zelensky, and the secretary of Borispol City Council, Yaroslav Godunok, which resulted in Zelensky driving the deputy out of the conference room.

The conflict broke out during the discussion of the problems existing in Borispol central district hospital, in which Godunok intervened, shouting comments from his seat. The video of the incident was published by channel 112 Ukraine.

“When somebody shouts a lot, I always ask to find for me something on the Internet about this person. I am 42 years old and at my age I’ve seen a lot of people. I read some stuff in the newspaper, tell me – is it true or not? A member of Batkivshchina, secretary of the Borispol City Council, previously convicted under Part 3 of Article 142 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Robbery involving serious bodily harm". Yaroslav Nikolayevich, is that you? Get out of here! Get out, robber! Do you have hearing problems? Telling you in English – exit. Go,” Zelensky turned to Godunok.

Godunok tried to protest the head of state, recalling that Zelensky in his inaugural speech said: "we are all presidents".

“You get out of here, now. You're definitely not the president. Because the president has no criminal record. Bugger off,” Zelensky retorted.

As a result, Godunok was taken out of the hall, and Zelensky apologized to the audience for his emotions: “I just don’t like gangsters.”

Recall that in 2016, Yaroslav Godunok actively opposed the All-Ukrainian Cross Procession for peace in order to prevent the possibility "for Moscow priests, Kremlin agents to come to Ukraine". He stated that the UOC should "disappear altogether from the map of Ukraine", but first "Putin and Kirill should be anathematized", "kneel down and ask for forgiveness".

As the UOJ reported, the Borispol District Court handled the administrative case of the deputy of Boripol City Council Yaroslav Godunok under article 173 (disorderly conduct) in connection with his rude and obscene remarks against the participants of the All-Ukrainian religious procession-2016 and law enforcement officers ensuring law and order. However, following several meetings, the case was closed "due to the absence of the offence".

At the same time, Godunok himself confirmed he had actively opposed the procession. “From the very beginning I was against this so-called religious procession. I will not hide it, I really unleashed myself verbally. In particular, I urged the participants to go "to Moscow", cried out "Shame," "Down with the Moscow occupiers," "Down with the Moscow priests," "Go to Putin," said the deputy, confident that the case against him was an order "from the top".

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