On the 18th (local time), a mass shooting and hostage situation in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, left at least six people dead.
According to Reuters and others, a man opened fire on passersby on Holosiivskyi Street, a busy area in Kyiv, then entered a nearby supermarket and took hostages while confronting police.
The suspect was shot dead by police during the arrest operation. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the suspect was a 58-year-old man from Moscow, Russia, had a criminal record, and used an automatic weapon. The exact motive has not yet been confirmed.
Of the six dead, four were killed on the street, one died inside the supermarket, and the remaining one died while being transported to a hospital. Fourteen people were injured in the incident and are being treated at nearby hospitals.
Police confronted the suspect for about 40 minutes and attempted negotiations. Considering the possibility of injured people inside the supermarket, they continued to persuade the suspect, but the suspect did not respond and ultimately killed one hostage, prompting the on-site command to order the suspect shot dead.
Authorities confirmed a hunting carbine registered under the suspect's name and a medical certificate for the firearm permit, and the circumstances of the firearm permit's issuance is under investigation.
Meanwhile, a fire also broke out at an apartment in Kyiv listed as the suspect's address. It was determined that the suspect set fire to the apartment before starting the shooting on the street.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) classified the incident as an act of terror. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, such a large-scale mass shooting has been unprecedented.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X (formerly Twitter) that the suspect had long lived in the eastern Donetsk region. Donetsk is an area largely occupied by Russia, where conflicts with separatist forces have continued since before the full-scale invasion.