Ivano-Frankivsk court finds minor guilty of assaulting Ukrinform photojournalist Yurii Rylchuk

This is stated in a ruling of the Ivano-Frankivsk City Court, Ukrinform reports.

The court ruled "to find the defendant guilty of committing a criminal misdemeanor under Part 1 of Article 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and to impose a penalty in the form of a fine, applying Part 2 of Article 99 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in the amount of 500 (five hundred) non-taxable minimum incomes of citizens, which equals 8,500 (eight thousand five hundred) hryvnias." The ruling states that "the accused is a minor and is being prosecuted for the first time."

It also notes that the defendant fully admitted guilt. The victim did not attend the court hearing.

The victim submitted a written statement requesting that the case be considered in his absence, stating that material and moral damages had been compensated and that he had no further claims of a moral or property nature.

The incident occurred in Ivano-Frankivsk on October 14, 2025, at 23:40, when Rylchuk was walking along Liubomyra Huzara Street and taking photographs of the city with his mobile phone. The minor was riding a scooter. During the interaction, he expressed dissatisfaction with being filmed and, in the presence of other individuals, intentionally struck the journalist approximately 20 times to the head.

According to the ruling, the victim sustained injuries including a wound in the left parietotemporal region, classified as minor injuries causing a short-term health disorder, as well as an abrasion in the right frontal region and a bruise in the area of the left ear – all classified as minor bodily injuries.

No measure of restraint was applied in the criminal proceedings. There were no expert-related expenses in the case.

The verdict will enter into legal force 30 days after its announcement if no appeal is filed.

Photo from Yurii Rylchuk's archive