Armed man takes policeman hostage in central Ukraine

iStock [illustration]

An armed man escaped arrest on Thursday after he took a senior Ukrainian policeman hostage in the central city of Poltava.

According to the police, the man took out a grenade and threatened to kill one of the officers when they attempted to arrest him for a suspected hijacking incident.

Following negotiations, he exchanged the police officer for a police colonel and drove off with him in a car provided by the police.

"Negotiations are ongoing to force the attacker to surrender to the police without harming himself or others," Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said on Facebook.

It was the second hostage-taking in Ukraine in three days. On Tuesday, an armed man held 13 people captive on a bus for hours before releasing them.

More from International news

News

  • UAE leaders inaugurate World Laureates Summit

    UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday, inaugurated the World Laureates Summit, the largest global gathering of Nobel Prize winners and recipients of other prestigious scientific awards.

  • UAE leaders send condolences to Pakistan president over terrorist attacks

    UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a cable of condolence to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari, on the terrorist attacks in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, which resulted in a number of deaths.

  • UAE President meets IMF chief ahead of World Governments Summit

    UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on Sunday, to discuss cooperation between the UAE and the IMF, with a focus on sustainable development and global economic growth.