Update: The Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that the man who attacked the Ukrainian soldiers has been detained. He is a 36-year-old Russian soldier from St. Petersburg who was previously convicted in Russia. The agency did not specify whether he was a prisoner of war.
Five soldiers from the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade were shot dead on October 13 in the village of Kutuzivka in the Kharkiv region.
According to Ukraine’s Military Law Enforcement Service, which polices the armed forces, “a man in civilian clothes armed with an automatic weapon” opened fire. The motive remains unknown. The service said the slain soldiers had gotten along well with their comrades and had no disciplinary problems.
The news outlet Hlavkom reported that police are searching for two Russian soldiers in connection with the killings. Both had escaped captivity.
Law enforcement sources told Suspilne that the gunman had already been detained in a district of Kharkiv. Police and prosecutors have not yet confirmed that account.
Ukrainian law enforcement authorities are considering several possible explanations for the attack and have not ruled out Russian soldiers’ involvement.
From Meduza’s archives
- ‘I don’t want this exchange anymore’ After their release, Russian POWs are being sent back to war instead of home to their families
- Russians deserting the army often turn to their families for help — but in small communities, hiding can prove impossible
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