A cadet of Odesa University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was “honored” at the memorial of the dead – he is alive and demands explanations
10 February 09:45
A university memorial plaque with the names of fallen defenders of Ukraine caused a high-profile incident at Odesa State University of Internal Affairs. Among those honored on the plaque was cadet Oleksiy Stetsenko, who, as it turned out, is alive, healthy, and continues to serve in the Armed Forces. Stetsenko himself confirmed this on social media, expressing outrage at the situation, Komersant ukrainskyi reports.
What happened?
Four days ago, the Odesa State University of Internal Affairs (OSUIA) posted on social media the news of the opening of the Mural of Memory. This memorial is dedicated to the university’s graduates and students – the defenders of Ukraine who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of the state.
The event was attended by the university management, academic staff, cadets, families of the victims, representatives of the authorities, veterans’ organizations and the public. The participants of the ceremony honored the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence. The rector of the university, police colonel Vyacheslav Davydenko, emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of the heroes and stressed the significance of this memorial as a symbol of honor, courage and self-sacrifice of the university graduates.
“I’m alive!” – the cadet’s reaction
However, an unexpected turn of events caused a public outcry. Four days after the news of the memorial’s unveiling was published on social media, cadet Oleksiy Stetsenko responded to the post, finding his photo on the memorial plaque. He noted that he was alive, healthy and continuing his service, and after this news, he received calls from worried relatives and friends.
Stetsenko is outraged by this situation and demands clarification on the source of the information about his death, immediate removal of his photo from the memorial, and prosecution of those who made this mistake.
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“I am alive!!! I demand immediate explanations as to how I was buried when I continue to serve Ukraine! I demand that my photos with my personal data be immediately removed from the memorial plaque and that those involved in providing false information about me and posting it to the public be brought to justice. What the hell is going on? I’ve already received calls from many relatives and colleagues about this. Perhaps someone has already received a payment of 15 million for me and I don’t even know? I am waiting for explanations,” Stetsenko wrote.
Official reaction of the university
After the situation was publicized, the Odesa University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs responded to the cadet’s statement. A representative of the university, Zoya Dmytruk, asked Oleksiy Stetsenko to contact her for clarification:
“Oleksii Serhiiovych, we will definitely look into the matter and provide explanations on where the information came from. Please contact me in your personal messages, and I will send you my phone number for communication.”
Odesa State University of Internal Affairs has just admitted the mistake and apologized to the cadet:
“The management and personally the Rector of Odesa State University of Internal Affairs sincerely apologize to Oleksiy Stetsenko, whose photo was placed on the Mural in memory of the university’s graduates and students who gave their lives in the struggle for the independence and territorial integrity of our country. The person who made this terrible, unacceptable mistake will be brought to justice, and the photo will be immediately removed from the Mural and from official messages on the university’s social media pages.”
