In the early hours of May 1, a memorial plaque honoring the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev, was stolen in Lviv, Ukraine. The incident, reported by Yevhen Boyko, the head of the Lviv City Council’s executive committee, occurred at approximately 1:05 AM.
Boyko confirmed that the act of vandalism was promptly reported to the police, stating, “The plaque dedicated to Dudayev has been stolen. We will restore it.” The police have yet to provide any comments regarding the incident.
The memorial plaque was unveiled on April 21, 2026, coinciding with the anniversary of Dudayev’s death. It was installed on the facade of a building located at the beginning of Dzhokhar Dudayev Street, situated in the central area of Lviv.
Dzhokhar Dudayev was a prominent military and political figure, recognized as the first president of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, which sought independence from Russia during the 1990s. Before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he held the rank of major general in the Soviet Air Force. Dudayev was killed by a missile fired from a Russian Su-25 aircraft on April 21, 1996. In the same year, Lviv renamed Lermontov Street to honor him.
Streets named after Dudayev can also be found in Istanbul, Ankara, and Amman, with additional memorials in Warsaw, Vilnius, and Riga.
A memorial plaque for Dzhokhar Dudayev was stolen in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 1, shortly after its unveiling. The local authorities are working on its restoration following the act of vandalism.