A Russian soldier has killed four people, including three civilians, during an apparently random shooting spree in Russian-annexed Crimea, according to local officials.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the serviceman initially opened fire on his fellow soldiers, killing one and wounding another.
The gunman then went on a rampage in the nearby village of Khmelnytske, shooting dead three civilians—two men aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman. Three other people were injured in the attack.
The attacker has been detained and an investigation into the incident is underway, Razvozhayev added. Authorities have not publicly identified the soldier or confirmed which branch of the Russian military he belonged to.
Investigation ongoing
Medical staff are “doing everything possible to save” those injured in the attack, according to local officials, who did not rule out the possibility of the death toll rising.
Razvozhayev urged residents to rely on official channels and avoid spreading unverified speculation regarding the gunman’s identity or motives.
Russia has illegally occupied Crimea since annexing the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014, maintaining a heavily fortified military presence in the region. The annexation remains overwhelmingly unrecognized by the international community, which considers the territory to be under Russian occupation.
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