OREANDA-NEWS. The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Cherkasy, Anatoly Bondarenko, filed a lawsuit to protect his honour, dignity and business reputation against President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. This was reported by Liga.net, citing a statement by the plaintiff’s lawyer Denis Tsypin.

“We all remember that a few days ago Zelensky called Bondarenko a bandit. Here is the answer to this,” the lawyer explained. Tsypin clarified that moral damage for the official’s honour, dignity and business reputation is assessed in the symbolic amount of 1 hryvnia.

The conflict began after quarantine measures were eased in Cherkassy on May 1, despite the decision made by the federal government. The police opened a criminal case. The mayor of Cherkasy was supported by his colleagues from Ivano-Frankivsk and Lvov.

Bondarenko said he was ready to resist the Kiev authorities. Zelensky called these words populist. He specified that he did not know how to talk about it, “when there are 19 criminal cases against the mayor.” “I will not sit at the same table with such bandits. He was elected, this is the right of the people… Elect a bandit if you want,” Ukrainian President said.