In Germany, two Ukrainian youths were attacked with a knife. As a result, 17-year-old Vladimir Ermakov died.
Saturday night in Oberhausen near Düsseldorf ended fatally for young people from Ukraine. According to the local police, at a bus stop, there was an argument between two groups of teenagers, which reached a massacre.
As a result, 17-year-old Ukrainian basketball player Vladimir Ermakov died, but his teammate Artem Kozachenko, who was seriously injured, survived. Why social networks started talking about a political motive for the killing is more than the story.
Nine stab wounds to the chest and abdomen
On the evening of February 10, a clash took place between two groups of youths at a bus stop in Oberhausen. First, the teenagers got into a fight on the bus, and after reaching the bus stop, there was a scuffle followed by a massacre.
In total, four youths were injured in the collision. The Ukrainians, 17-year-old Vladimir Ermakov and 18-year-old Artem Kozachenko, were stabbed nine times in the chest and abdomen. Ermakov died from his injuries in hospital, despite surgery. Kozachenko survived and is now in intensive care.
Two other victims, a 14-year-old Syrian and a 13-year-old Lebanese German, were also taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Who is the suspect?
According to the German police, the attackers fled the scene of the crime, but with the help of video recordings, law enforcement officials quickly identified the attackers, who, as it turned out, were actively breaking the law.
As of February 11, the suspects, a 15-year-old German of Turkish origin and a 14-year-old German-Greek, were in custody.
An arrest warrant was issued for a 15-year-old due to the seriousness of the charges, while another suspect was released to legal guardians due to insufficient evidence.
According to Bild, the two men have long been known to the police for several crimes related to bodily harm and theft. The investigation into the circumstances and motive for the killing of the Ukrainian is ongoing.
Political motive?
As it turned out, Vladimir Ermakov is a promising basketball player. The guy played for the German club ART Giants in the U19 Bundesliga, was appointed to the Ukrainian U18 national team and periodically trained with professionals in Dusseldorf.
“To avoid war in his country, he moved to Düsseldorf in July 2023, where he found his new home. Vladimir is loved very much by his coaches, teammates and friends. We remember him as a young man whose daily life is characterized by pure joy and sporting ambitions,” – the Düsseldorf Basketball Association said in a statement.
German publication FOCUS states that the attack took place shortly before ART Giants’ scheduled game. The club’s entire team spent the night after the attack at the hospital to be with Ermakov and Kozachenko, also a club player.
At the same time, the Kyiv Basketball Federation sees a political motive in the crime.
“Volodya and his friend Artem Kozachenko played for the youth team ART Giants (U-19) from Dusseldorf. On the eve of the next match, young basketball players were attacked with knives on the street because only they are Ukrainians! According to preliminary information, the criminals are eight young Arab-looking people,” FBK said in a statement.
New Correspondent.net on Telegram and WhatsApp. Subscribe to our channels Athletistic and WhatsApp
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.