Bandit who mocked the veteran in Smila was caught: veteran provided details

On September 3rd, on the road near the village of Rotmistrivka, a few kilometers from Smila, the father of veteran Anatoliy Honcharenko had an argument over a traffic violation with former boxer Vadym Dolotenko. He informed his son about the incident — Anatoliy found Dolotenko’s car and, as he says, to hasten the meeting, unscrewed its license plate. He also wrote a post on social media asking for help identifying the owner.

Soon Vadym Dolotenko appeared accompanied by several thugs. He hit the veteran twice, and when he fell, Dolotenko’s companion struck Honcharenko again. The attackers were not satisfied with the beating: later they called and, through threats, forced the former special forces soldier to record an apology video.

The local police did not open a criminal case, citing that the victim did not file a complaint. Only on September 10th, after public outcry, did the head of Cherkasy police press service, Zoya Vovk, announce that a criminal case had been opened.

The journalist from LB.ua met Anatoliy Honcharenko at a cafe on the banks of the Tiasmyn River in Smila. The man was in a dark T-shirt and shorts, with a tattoo on his left arm. He had a light-yellow bruise under his right eye.

— At the beginning of the war, I was in the local territorial defense, then served in the Special Operations Forces regiment. Later, I was demobilized due to my parents’ health problems. On September 3rd, my father was driving an old Zhiguli-Kopiika from Rotmistrivka. Its cruising speed is 35 kilometers per hour. This didn’t sit well with the driver of a Hyundai following him.

Dolotenko, who was behind the wheel, was rude to my father. Then he caught up with him, pulled alongside, and continued insulting. My father called me. I found the car, unscrewed the license plate, and posted its picture on Facebook. Dolotenko then appeared with a company. I’d never seen these people before and didn’t know who they were. Vadym started the conversation with dirty threats.

He said that in reality, I wasn’t a soldier, but scum. And he was a real volunteer. He hit me twice. Every time I fell, I almost lost consciousness and it was very hard to get back on my feet. During the attack, one of the men held a grenade in his hand, which he later hid in the car.

The main demand of the attackers was that I revealed their car and now had to buy it for $5,000 the next day. For each day of delay — another $5,000. Later, Dolotenko called back and ordered me to record a video with apologies. I was very afraid for my parents’ lives and complied with his request.

According to Honcharenko, the police were not present during the beating, but later law enforcement officers saw and heard the threats against him.

— The attackers said I was drunk, and the ambulance crew treated me accordingly. They started asking about my year of birth, but I had 2011 spinning in my head. Only when they gave me water did I feel better. I was able to gather my thoughts and tell them about the situation. I was not given any medical aid. The police also treated me as if I were intoxicated, despite the bruise under my eye. They didn’t even think to search and inspect the attackers’ cars. I was surprised by the public reaction to my beating — I thought everything would be hushed up and no one would be punished.

Local journalist Anna Shatna has known Anatoliy Honcharenko since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

— When I saw the video of his beating, I was stunned. I had heard bad reviews about Dolotenko and his company but had no facts to make them public. I don’t like it when he is called a criminal authority. In reality, he is no authority, a small man in their hierarchy and a primitive scoundrel who is used to solving all life’s problems with his fists.

The head of Smila police, Mykola Zarovnyi, when we organized a protest under its walls, said that since there was no statement from the victim, no criminal case could be opened. But as soon as there was public outcry, grounds were found. What’s strange is that local bloggers wrote articles on social media, defending the attackers and humiliating the victim in every possible way.