Ukrainian activist and prominent military volunteer Serhii Sternenko was wounded in a shooting on May 1 in what the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) described as an attempted assassination. Sternenko, a vocal critic of Russian aggression and widely followed public figure, confirmed the attack and his survival in a message on Telegram.
“I was attacked. I was wounded,” Sternenko posted shortly after the incident. “Everything is OK, there’s no threat to my life.” He later thanked the SBU for what he called a “lightning-fast reaction,” writing, “If not for them, I wouldn’t be able to write anything now. They quite literally saved my life.”
The SBU said in a statement that a woman attempted to kill Sternenko with a firearm. The agency released a photo of the suspect and confirmed she was detained at the scene.
“The Security Service of Ukraine prevented the murder of well-known public activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko,” the agency stated. “Thanks to the swift and professional actions of SBU officers, the attacker was detained on the spot. Serhii Sternenko’s life is currently not in danger.”
Мерзоті, яка вчора намагалася мене вбити, повідомили про підозру у замаху на умисне вбивство та державній зраді.
Запобіжний захід мають обрати сьогодні.
Пізніше сьогодні зроблю стрім та розповім більше. pic.twitter.com/tLb2HHD8G6
— Serhii Sternenko ✙ (@sternenko) May 2, 2025
Sternenko, who underwent surgery after the shooting, reported that the bullet passed through his body without hitting any vital organs. As of his last update, his condition was stable. He asked the public not to contact him due to ongoing investigative procedures and said, “Russians are f**kers,” suggesting possible involvement by Russian intelligence services, though no official confirmation has been provided.
🚨 The SBU confirmed the assassination attempt on Sternenko: the volunteer was shot at with a firearm
Ukrainian intelligence services prevented the murder of Ukrainian volunteer and activist Serhiy Sternenko. A photo of the neutralized attacker, who was recruited by Russians,… pic.twitter.com/mSHowSH99P
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 1, 2025
The location of the attack has not been disclosed, though it reportedly occurred in either Kyiv or Odesa. The SBU stated that “operational and investigative actions are ongoing.”
In 2018, Sternenko survived three separate attacks, including one in which he fatally stabbed an assailant in what he claimed was an act of self-defense.
Sternenko, originally from Odesa, is a former leader of the Right Sector in the region and a participant in the 2014 Revolution of Dignity. He gained widespread recognition through social media platforms, including YouTube—where he has over 2 million subscribers—and Telegram, where he has more than 840,000 followers.
