A Russian soldier stationed in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, opened fire on his fellow servicemen, according to reports from Reuters.
The shooting occurred in a village close to Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters. As announced by the city’s governor, Mikhail Razvojaiev, the incident resulted in the death of one Russian soldier and injuries to another.
In addition to the military casualties, the soldier fatally shot three civilians, with three others wounded, as stated by the Russian official. The attacker has been detained, according to the report.
The civilian victims were aged between 59 and 71, as reported by TASS. The Russian state agency did not provide further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
The governor did not disclose additional information about the attack. “All circumstances and causes of the incident are being investigated,” Razvojaiev said, urging the public to remain calm and to avoid spreading rumors.
Crimea is a strategically significant and heavily militarized peninsula in the Black Sea that Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
