A scandal involving a war veteran named Nikolai Grigorenko erupted in Lviv, involving a group of individuals that included blogger and "Miss Lviv 2021," Veronika Benyakh. The young woman has already commented on the incident on her Instagram page.
The scandal was initially reported on Facebook by the wife of the victim, journalist Orina Grigorenko. According to her, men in a white BMW parked their vehicle in a spot designated for individuals with disabilities. The veteran, who uses a prosthetic limb, began to address them, which led to a verbal altercation and pushing.
"These are a bunch of idiots. I was genuinely scared. Because of the disrespect shown to a war veteran who has lost a leg. Because 'So what if you fought?!' – 'Go fight somewhere else!' – 'Then why aren’t you there?!'" Orina Grigorenko recounted the situation.
Additionally, the journalist mentioned that if her partner had lost his balance and fallen during the altercation, he could have further injured his spine, worsening his condition.
As the police started to arrive at the scene of the scandal, the white BMW began to reverse, ultimately running over the veteran. Nearby was a supermarket patron named Irina, who began to defend the couple and recorded everything on video. One of the passengers snatched the phone from her hands and got into the vehicle.
"Nikolai filed a report, and visitor Irina filed a report. I’m sharing footage from two mobile phones in pieces. I slowed down the first part a bit. BMW is definitely a diagnosis — what else can I say," Orina Grigorenko continued.
One of the passengers in the vehicle that occupied the spot for individuals with disabilities was blogger and "Miss Lviv 2021," Veronika Benyakh. She stated on Instagram that this was a lie and that the information was presented incorrectly.
"I want to share a situation that I find very frustrating, that one can become a participant in a conflict out of nowhere. And the first question I want to ask is: do you believe that I would ever say something like that to a soldier, considering my position and that I have two military personnel in my family?" — wrote Veronika Benyakh.
1The blogger also mentioned that the car was not parked in a spot for people with disabilities but rather nearby, which is not prohibited. She also published a shot that could confirm this.
"The conflict primarily arose with a taxi driver who was indeed parked in the disabled spot, but for some reason, the couple decided to take it out on us. The taxi driver left, and we happened to be the first ones nearby," the young woman continued.
2 3The third point that troubled her was related to how the veteran supposedly communicated with them. She stated that his status does not give him the right to use obscene language towards others.
4 5In a comment to Zaxid.net, the veteran's wife added that the group of people indeed claimed that the car was not parked in the wrong spot, but this allegedly did not correspond to reality.
The owner of the white BMW also provided his comment to the journalists, admitting that he stopped in the wrong place and is willing to pay a fine. However, he insisted that it was not a spot for people with disabilities, but simply near the entrance.
"I came back from training. I have a sore knee; it’s hard for me to walk far. But I did not park in a disabled spot. The military man had a conflict with a taxi driver who was parked in the disabled spot. But he left, and they started arguing with us. No one pushed him. My friend slightly nudged him so we could get out. I spoke to him formally," stated Yaroslav Protsaylo.
He also believes that the conflict was provoked, although he did indeed say to the soldier to go fight elsewhere. The driver acknowledges his mistake, admitting that he could have behaved more calmly.
"Just because he fought does not give him the right to be biased against me. I also fight, just on my front: I handle economic matters, supporting the country’s economy. During the war, I donated cars worth many thousands of dollars, and my family is involved in charity for the army. I believe I have contributed just as much to the country as our military," Yaroslav Protsaylo continued.
The press service of the patrol police confirmed to ZAXID.NET that inspectors took statements from the victims and forwarded them to the local police department. At the same time, the statements were not entered into the pre-trial investigation registry but were simply handed to the district inspector. The driver and passengers of the BMW face only penalties for administrative offenses.
Recall that on August 28, it was reported that a police officer was dismissed in the Kyiv region for calling a veteran a "finished invalid". The conflict involving the officer occurred in the capital at the beginning of August. The husband of the police officer parked in a spot for individuals with disabilities, resulting in a dispute with another driver, a war veteran.