At the end of April, the brutal attack on Stanislav Serhienko attracted attention in Ukraine and internationally. The left-wing activist and student was ambushed near his home in broad daylight. Two unknown assailants beat and stabbed him, leading to hospitalization and surgery.

Serhienko had publicly criticized both Russia-backed separatists and the Ukrainian army, which had allied with far-right battalions in the war in the country’s east. He also spoke out against the Ukrainian state’s nationalistic agenda, namely the Institute of National Memory and its head Volodymyr Viatrovych.

During the 2013–14 Maidan protests, Serhienko belonged to Borotba, a leftist, Euroskeptic organization. The group gained influence during the Antimaidan demonstrations in Kharkiv before its leaders backed the pro-Russian rebels and separatist movements. At that moment, Serhienko and other activists ended their involvement. Nevertheless, the right-wing media enthusiastically spread photographic evidence of his participation after he was spotted at an anti-austerity action in September 2016. His sudden notoriety sparked a wave of online bullying and physical harassment that culminated in the bloody attack.