A Telegram chat coordinating protests against the resignation of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has disappeared from the network. This occurred immediately after law enforcement detained the community administrator on suspicion of unauthorized absence from a military unit.
Vitaliy Kamka/Pavuk at a protest against Fedorov’s resignation / © Threads
Following the apprehension of Vitaliy Kamka, one of the Telegram chats used to organize demonstrations against the dismissal of ex-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov vanished. The detained individual himself claims that investigators gained access to his smartphone and posted a “farewell message” from his account, admitting mistakes and stating intentions to join the military.
This information is reported by the Center for Human Rights ZMINA.
Disappearance of the Coordination Chat
One of the protest organizers, Arkadiy Petrosyan, announced the deletion of the community during a recent rally on Ivan Franko Square. Subsequently, social media carried news about the direct arrest of the administrator of this channel, who used the pseudonym Vitaliy Pavuk.
According to protest participant Serhiy Motrenko, approximately 770 individuals were members of the aforementioned chat, regularly participating in street actions. On the evening of August 7, a message unexpectedly appeared in the group from the administrator: “The night was sleepless. There was time to reflect. We are doing the wrong thing. I have made my decision. I will serve the state in the Armed Forces of Ukraine!”
Following this publication, which concluded with calls to “Hold the line! Ukraine above all!”, the Telegram chat was entirely removed from the network. However, Vitaliy Kamka later informed his contacts that he had not published any such statements and had not deleted the channel.
Allegations Regarding Investigators’ Actions
The detainee asserts that after his arrest, an investigator gained physical access to his account, authored the final text independently, and then removed the coordination platform. Serhiy Motrenko also confirmed to human rights defenders that the style of this post seemed uncharacteristic of Kamka, although he cannot be absolutely certain of all the circumstances surrounding its writing.
It is known that the man was stopped by police officers while riding a motorcycle for a data check, which revealed his status as having unauthorized absence from a military unit (UAA). Following this, the detainee was escorted in handcuffs to the Military Law Enforcement Service department in Bila Tserkva.
Conditions of Detention and the Position of the MP
According to Kamka, he was handcuffed to a bed at the Bila Tserkva zonal department of the Military Law Enforcement Service (MP), and he later posted video footage of himself in handcuffs on his social media. Subsequently, the man reported being transferred to a military unit in Cherkasy for further service.
In conversations with others, he noted that the treatment towards him was generally adequate, and law enforcement officers did not use any physical violence. However, the detainee emphasized that during the initial stages of convoying and custody, he was held in handcuffs for an extended period.
Human rights defenders have not yet been able to objectively determine the exact duration of this restriction or the official grounds for its application. According to current legislation, MP personnel are permitted to use handcuffs in cases of resistance, attempted escape, or the risk of causing harm, making the reasons for such actions crucial for a legal assessment of the incident.
Representatives of ZMINA attempted to obtain an official comment from the Military Law Enforcement Service regarding these statements, but were unable to reach the department by the time of publication. The publication stresses its readiness to supplement the materials with the MP’s position as soon as it is officially received.
We remind you that former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that he would not join the opposition to President Volodymyr Zelensky during the war and warned that he would not address the protesters rallying in his support.
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