A soldier killed three civilians and one fellow soldier in a shooting rampage in Russian-annexed Crimea, the Moscow-installed regional governor Mikhail Razvozhayev stated. The attacker has been detained.
The incident occurred in the village of Khmelnytske, where the gunman opened fire on his fellow soldiers, killing one and injuring another. He then proceeded to kill three civilians: two men, aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman. Three other individuals sustained injuries in the attack.
Local officials have not publicly identified the attacker or specified which branch of the Russian armed forces he was serving with. The motive behind the shooting is currently under investigation. Doctors are reportedly working to save the lives of those injured, and the potential for the death toll to rise remains unclear.
Razvozhayev urged the public to rely on official information and to avoid spreading unverified rumors regarding the incident's motives or the perpetrator's identity.
Russia has controlled Crimea since 2014, an annexation that the majority of the international community considers an occupation of Ukrainian territory. Russia maintains a significant military presence in the region, which has been a target for Ukrainian drone and missile strikes.