Incident Summary:
08/03/2020: An assailant entered a bank in the Leonardo Business Center took hostages and threatened to detonate explosive devices in Kyiv, Ukraine. There were no reported casualties in the attack. Police arrested Roman Skrypnyk, an Uzbeki national on the scene. Karimov claimed responsibility for the incident and stated a number of grievances, including that the Ukrainian president had failed to fulfill promises and that one person should rule the world. Karimov also demanded 40,000 hryvnias ($1,440) and identified himself as "the Holy Spirit, Lord God." Sources noted that Karimov has a history of mental illness, including a diagnosis in 1998 of "oligophrenia."
Overview
GTD ID:
202008030009
When:
2020-08-03
Country:
Ukraine
Region:
Eastern Europe
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Kyiv
City:
Kyiv
Location Details:
The incident occurred near Bohdana Khmelnytskoho Street and Volodymyrska Street intersection.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Universal Bank |
Specific Description |
Bank |
Nationality of Target |
Ukraine |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
1 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Hours of Kidnapping |
3 |
Outcome |
Successful Rescue |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Fake Weapons |
|
Weapon Details |
A fake explosive device was used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
Yes |
Alternate Designation () |
Lack of Intentionality |
Additional Information |
There is doubt that this incident meets terrorism-related criteria. Sources suspected the assailant was not in possession of any explosives. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Unknown |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Personal claim) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
1 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
0 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
"Karimov Who Threatened With Explosion In Leonardo Business Center In Kyiv Changed Hostage During Building Seizure - SSU," Ukrainian News Agency, August 3, 2020. |
"Hostage taker at Leonardo Business Center is Uzbekistan citizen Sukhrob Karimov - Dpty interior minister," Ukraine General Newswire, August 3, 2020. |
"UPDATE 2-'Coffee, cigarettes, journalists': video shows hostage-taker captured in Ukraine bank," Reuters UK, August 3, 2020. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties