Support The Moscow Times!

Minister Calls Police 'Nazi Swine'

Ukrainian Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko hurled racist insults at German police during a drunken brawl at the Frankfurt airport last week, German media reported.

Lutsenko called the police officers "Nazi swine," among other pejoratives, when they prevented him from boarding a flight to Korea on May 4 because of drunken and disorderly conduct, the German weekly Focus reported, citing a police report of the incident.

The minister and members of his delegation, including his son Oleksandr, physically resisted police intervention in a scuffle that left four officers at the Frankfurt airport with injuries, including bruised testicles, the report said.

Lutsenko also swore at officers in English, shouting, "You are Hitler children" and "I kill you," Bild reported Monday, citing the police officers' statements.

Lutsenko's ministry has said the media reports of the incident are untrue, explaining that he missed his flight because of "an unfortunate misunderstanding."

The police report indicated otherwise, saying Lutsenko was "totally intoxicated," Focus said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more