SBU detains woman who tried to kill activist Serhiy Sternenko and reveals her photo

The SBU said Sternenko’s life is not in danger. Investigators are continuing to collect evidence as part of an ongoing inquiry.

Sternenko earlier reported the assault on social media, saying he was injured but that his condition was stable.

Pattern of Attacks

Sternenko, a prominent activist and former head of the Right Sector in Odesa, has previously survived multiple attacks.

In 2018, he was assaulted three times.

On Feb. 7, he and his girlfriend were attacked outside their home by men who opened the car door and beat him with what he described as a short bat. He suffered a thigh wound, concussion, facial abrasions and a chest bruise.

On May 1, he reported another attack near his home. He said he heard a gunshot and felt a blow to his neck before turning to see the suspect fleeing. He and passersby detained the assailant, who was later identified as Abzal Baymukashev, a Kazakhstan native who became a Ukrainian citizen in 2003. Sternenko sustained a neck wound caused by rubber bullets.

On May 24, 2018, Sternenko was attacked again near his home by two men. He was seriously injured in the hand but managed to stab both attackers. One died at the scene; the other fled. Sternenko was later charged with premeditated murder and illegal possession of a weapon. He was released on bail in January 2021 by Roman Lozynskyi, a lawmaker from the Holos party.