Police detain hostage taker in Kyiv bank drama
Ukrainian police detained a man who took a hostage in a bank in Kyiv on Monday (August 3), deputy interior minister Anton Gerashchenko said.
The hostage was released unharmed.
Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook that the man had entered the bank at midday, told employees he had a bomb in his backpack and then asked them to call the police.
He said the hostage taker was a citizen of Uzbekistan - but gave no indication of his motive.
Later Gerashchenko told local television that the man demanded to give interviews to journalists.
Police allowed several reporters to talk to the hostage taker before storming the building.
In an encounter broadcast live on a Ukrainian television channel the man was heard to claim to be a holy spirit and criticized the country's authorities.
Gerashchenko wrote after the storming - quote -
''The terrorist was captured alive. The explosion did not happen. Explosives technicians are working on site."
It was Ukraine's third hostage incident in recent weeks.
