A bus seized in central Lutsk
On the morning of 21 July 2020, Maksym Kryvosh took control of a passenger bus in central Lutsk and held 13 people inside. Police sealed off the area while negotiators tried to end the confrontation without loss of life.
During the standoff, authorities reported gunfire and the use or attempted use of explosive devices. A grenade thrown from the bus did not detonate. The situation lasted much of the day and drew national attention as police, security services and political leaders worked toward a peaceful release.
Negotiations and the release of the hostages
Three hostages were released first after negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy then spoke directly with Kryvosh by telephone. Shortly afterward, Kryvosh left the bus and was detained by police. The remaining captives were freed.
Contemporary officials emphasized the outcome: all 13 hostages survived. Reporting at the time also stated that no one was hurt during the crisis. The absence of fatalities does not lessen the seriousness of taking civilians hostage, but it is an important factual distinction from mass-casualty attacks.
Charges and psychiatric assessment
The criminal case encompassed more than hostage-taking. Prosecutors alleged conduct involving weapons, explosives, threats, a terrorist act and an attempt on the life of a law-enforcement officer. A forensic psychiatric examination later found Kryvosh legally responsible for his conduct.
The evidence and charges were litigated in the Lutsk City District Court of the Volyn region. The court ultimately found him guilty of the charged group of criminal offenses rather than merely treating him as a suspect associated with a public-security incident.
The 2022 sentence
On 26 September 2022, the Lutsk City District Court announced its judgment. According to the court's official release, Kryvosh was convicted under multiple provisions of Ukraine's Criminal Code, including hostage-taking, a terrorist act, knowingly false reporting of threatened dangerous acts, illegal handling of weapons and explosive devices, unlawful seizure of a vehicle and an attempt on the life of a law-enforcement officer.
The court imposed a sentence of 13 years' imprisonment with confiscation of his property. A later official court publication in December 2025 described Kryvosh as a convicted prisoner serving that sentence, providing a current confirmation that the adjudicated outcome remained operative.
Morning, 21 July 2020: Maksym Kryvosh seizes a passenger bus in central Lutsk and holds 13 people hostage.
21 July 2020: police surround the bus and negotiations continue for more than ten hours amid reports of gunfire and an unexploded grenade.
Evening, 21 July 2020: the hostages are released alive and Kryvosh is detained.
2020–2022: investigators and prosecutors pursue a multi-count criminal case; a psychiatric examination finds Kryvosh legally responsible.
26 September 2022: the Lutsk City District Court convicts Kryvosh and sentences him to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property.
24 December 2025: an official appellate-court publication confirms that Kryvosh remains imprisoned under the 13-year sentence.
Current status
The case is classified as Solved / Adjudicated. The offender was identified at the scene, arrested after the hostages were released, prosecuted and convicted. The sentence is documented by the court that issued it and was still being treated as operative by the Ukrainian judiciary in late 2025.
Sources
- Lutsk City District Court of Volyn Region — 26 September 2022, official judgment announcement and 13-year sentence
- Rivne Court of Appeal — 24 December 2025, confirmation of Kryvosh's conviction, sentence and imprisonment
- Euronews / Associated Press — 21–22 July 2020, hostage count, negotiations and safe release