Six Dead in Kyiv Terror Attack as Moscow-Born Gunman Opens Fire

Clear Facts

• A 58-year-old Moscow-born gunman killed six people and wounded 14 others, including a 12-year-old boy, in a shooting rampage at a Kyiv supermarket
• Ukrainian special forces killed the shooter after 40 minutes of failed negotiations; he had taken at least four hostages and killed one of them
• Ukraine’s security service labeled the attack an act of terrorism; the gunman had a criminal record but held a valid weapons permit

Ukrainian special forces killed a Russian gunman Saturday after he opened fire at a Kyiv supermarket, leaving six people dead and 14 others wounded in what authorities are calling an act of terrorism. The victims include a 12-year-old boy caught in the violence that terrorized the Ukrainian capital.

The 58-year-old shooter was born in Moscow and had long resided in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. He took at least four hostages during the attack, killing one of them inside the store while fatally shooting four others on the street.

A sixth victim, a woman, died from her injuries at a hospital. Graphic video captured by witnesses showed the gunman shooting at victims at close range on the street, with bodies lying on the pavement and in nearby courtyards.

Ukrainian special forces stormed the convenience store after 40 minutes of failed negotiations with the shooter, according to Interior Minister Klymenko. The operation ended with the gunman being killed by the tactical team.

At least fourteen people were wounded in the attack, though officials cautioned the number may rise as more victims continue to seek medical assistance. Among the injured is a 12-year-old boy and a supermarket security guard, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

Zelenskyy revealed that the shooter also set fire to an apartment prior to the attack, though it remains unclear if any injuries resulted from the arson. The calculated nature of the assault has raised serious questions about the gunman’s motives and potential connections.

“My condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

“We wish all the wounded a swift recovery.”

The gunman had previously been prosecuted for criminal offenses but somehow held a valid weapons permit, according to authorities. This troubling detail has prompted immediate scrutiny of Ukraine’s gun licensing procedures. Investigators from the National Police and the Security Service of Ukraine are conducting a full investigation.

Ukraine’s security service labeled the attack an act of terrorism, given the shooter’s Moscow origins and the deliberate nature of the violence.

“All available information about him and the motives behind his actions is being thoroughly investigated,” Zelenskyy said.

“Every detail must be verified.”

One of the shooter’s neighbors, Hanna Kulyk, 75, described him as an “educated, refined man” who lived alone and did not socialize often. The characterization underscores how violence can emerge from unexpected sources, even as Ukraine remains under constant threat from Russian aggression.

“You’d never guess he was some kind of criminal,” Kulyk told The Associated Press.

The attack comes as Ukraine continues to defend itself against Russian invasion, adding domestic terror concerns to the nation’s already substantial security challenges. The fact that a Moscow-born individual with a criminal record was able to obtain a weapons permit and carry out such a deadly attack will likely prompt serious policy reviews.

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