After 25 successful concerts in Poland and Finland, where the artists represented Ukrainian culture as part of a volunteer and cultural-diplomatic mission, the members of the Ivano-Frankivsk National Song and Dance Ensemble “Hutsulia” returned home.
Behind them are more than 10,000 kilometres of travel, dozens of performances, full concert halls, and the support of Ukrainians abroad.
However, the end of the tour turned into a tragedy. In Ukraine, at around 3 a.m. during curfew, the ensemble’s bus stopped at the OKKO petrol station in the village of Sheptytskyi. It was there that the artists were brutally attacked.
According to eyewitnesses, approximately six aggressive young men accompanied by three women who were in an inappropriate state stormed into the bus. They began throwing things around and provoking a conflict, which quickly escalated into open physical violence.
As Vasyl Sheremata reported, it was not a fight — it was a deliberate and one-sided attack. The artists did not engage in a fight, but tried to calm the situation and protect the girls who were part of the group.
The consequences of the attack are staggering:
- several participants have broken noses;
- multiple haematomas, rib injuries;
- concussion diagnosed;
- one of the artists suffered a complex fracture with displacement, requiring surgical intervention;
- The ensemble’s administrator suffered bruised ribs and is under severe stress.
At the same time, in a few days, the group is scheduled to depart for their next tour to Poland.
A statement has been filed with the police, and the injuries have been documented by medical professionals. The staff is demanding a transparent and impartial investigation.