Read on bbc.comKyiv Supermarket Shooting: Attacker Killed After Taking Hostages
At least six people were killed and 14 injured in a rare shooting incident in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district. A 58-year-old man from Moscow opened fire on the street before taking hostages inside a supermarket. Ukrainian police engaged in negotiations for approximately 40 minutes before the attacker was killed during a shoot-out after he murdered one of the hostages. President Zelensky confirmed the attacker had previously lived in the occupied Donetsk region and set fire to his apartment before the attack. The incident marks an unusual violent crime in a city primarily experiencing wartime attacks from Russian forces.
A deadly shooting incident in Ukraine's capital has left at least six people dead and multiple others injured, according to official reports from Ukrainian authorities. The attack occurred in Kyiv's southern Holosiivskyi district, where a gunman opened fire on civilians before taking hostages inside a nearby supermarket. The situation ended with police killing the attacker following a shoot-out, marking a rare instance of this type of violent crime in a city that has primarily experienced wartime attacks from Russian forces.
Timeline of the Attack
The incident began when the 58-year-old attacker, identified as being from Moscow, started shooting at people on the street in the Holosiivskyi district. According to Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the man then moved to a nearby supermarket where he took additional hostages. Police responded quickly to the scene, establishing communication with the shooter while he remained inside the supermarket with his captives.
Police Negotiations and Hostage Situation
Police negotiators spent approximately 40 minutes speaking with the attacker while he held hostages inside the supermarket. Interior Minister Klymenko described the man as "acting chaotically" during these negotiations. Authorities attempted to persuade the shooter to surrender peacefully, particularly noting that there was an injured person among the hostages. "We tried to persuade him, realising that there was an injured person there," Klymenko explained. "We offered to bring in tourniquets to stop the bleeding and so on. But he did not respond."
Resolution and Casualties
The situation escalated when the attacker killed one of the hostages, prompting police to take decisive action. Klymenko stated that "the order was given to eliminate him, especially after he killed one of the hostages." Following a shoot-out with police, the attacker was killed inside the supermarket. Four remaining hostages were subsequently freed by authorities.
Victim Details and Official Response
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that 14 people were injured in the attack, including a 12-year-old boy. Four people were killed on the street during the initial shooting, while a woman approximately 30 years old died later in hospital. The attacker also killed one hostage during the supermarket standoff. Ukraine's prosecutor general, Ruslan Kravchenko, identified the shooter as using an officially registered automatic weapon to carry out the attack, with investigations now underway regarding the circumstances of the weapon's permit issuance.
Attacker Background and Motive
President Zelensky revealed that the shooter had lived in the eastern Donetsk region "for a long time." This region is largely under Russian occupation and was subject to separatist conflict prior to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Zelensky also noted that the man had set fire to his apartment before leaving to begin his shooting spree. The attacker's motive remains unclear, as officials reported he made no specific demands during the 40-minute negotiation period with police.
Context and Significance
While Kyiv has frequently been subject to attacks during the ongoing war with Russia, shootings of this nature are rare in the Ukrainian capital. The incident represents an unusual violent crime in a city that has primarily experienced military attacks rather than individual acts of violence of this scale. The Holosiivskyi district shooting has drawn significant attention due to its departure from the typical security threats facing Kyiv residents.
The Ukrainian government has launched a comprehensive investigation into both the shooting itself and the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the weapon permit to the attacker. As authorities continue their investigation, questions remain about how a person with connections to Moscow obtained a legally registered automatic weapon in Ukraine and what specific factors may have contributed to this tragic incident in a nation already enduring significant conflict and security challenges.
