A Russian soldier has been detained after opening fire in the Russian-annexed Crimean port of Sevastopol, killing four people—one colleague and three civilians—and wounding three others.
The attack occurred in the Khmelnytske village of the Balaclava district, according to Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Moscow-installed governor of Sevastopol. The soldier first targeted fellow servicemen, killing one and injuring another before turning his weapon on civilians. The victims included two men aged 71 and 59, and a 64-year-old woman. Three additional individuals were wounded in the incident.
Authorities have not disclosed the attacker’s identity or motive, and no information has been released regarding the soldier’s military branch. Razvozhayev stated that medical personnel were "doing everything possible" to treat the injured and urged the public to rely on official statements rather than unverified rumors.
The Crimean peninsula has been under Russian control since 2014, a move that the international community overwhelmingly rejects, viewing it as an occupation of Ukrainian territory. Russia maintains a significant military presence in Crimea, which has been targeted by Ukrainian drone and missile strikes in recent months.
The incident follows weeks of escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including recent strikes that killed civilians in Ukraine’s Sumy region. On the same day as the Sevastopol attack, two children and an elderly woman were killed in Russian-guided aerial bomb strikes on Sumy, according to regional officials.
Investigations into the motive behind the rampage are ongoing, with authorities emphasizing that all circumstances are being established.