Russian Soldier Who Refused Orders Opens Fire on Own Unit Before Killing Civilians

A Russian serviceman has been arrested after opening fire on fellow soldiers before fatally shooting three civilians in the Russian-occupied Crimean city of Sevastopol, according to Russian-installed authorities.

The attack took place in the village of Khmelnytske, part of the Sevastopol municipality, where officials said the serviceman first shot members of his own military unit before leaving his military position and opening fire on nearby civilians. One soldier was killed, another was injured, and three civilians aged 71, 64 and 59 also died. Four other people were wounded.

Investigators have not announced a motive for the attack. However, independent Russian outlet Agentstvo reported that military-linked Telegram channels claimed the serviceman had refused an order shortly before opening fire on fellow soldiers. Russian officials have not confirmed those reports, while authorities are also investigating whether the civilians were deliberately targeted or struck at random after the gunman left his military position.

Soldier Arrested After Sevastopol Rampage

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, said the suspect was detained shortly after the shooting and urged residents not to spread unverified rumours while investigators established 'all circumstances and causes of the incident'.

The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Maxim Alistratov from Russia's Saratov region and was reported to have previously been convicted of theft, although Russian authorities have not officially confirmed his identity.

Investigators are continuing to examine the sequence of events, establish a motive and determine exactly what happened after the serviceman left his military position.

Investigation Continues

The reports that the serviceman refused military orders before the shooting remain unconfirmed. Agentstvo cited claims circulating on military-linked Telegram channels, but neither Russian investigators nor the Russian-installed administration in Crimea has publicly corroborated those accounts.

Authorities have urged residents not to speculate while the investigation continues, saying further details will be released once enquiries establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.

The incident occurred in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 and recognised by Ukraine and most Western governments as Ukrainian territory. The peninsula has served as one of Russia's principal military bases since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022 and has repeatedly been targeted by Ukrainian missile and drone attacks.

Conflict Across the Region

The incident came during another period of intensified fighting away from the front lines, with both Russia and Ukraine reporting fresh attacks.

Russian authorities said Ukrainian drone attacks killed civilians in the Moscow region and damaged logistics facilities, including warehouses belonging to online retailer Wildberries. Ukrainian officials have said the facilities support Russia's military supply chain, while the company has not publicly accepted that characterisation.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian strikes killed civilians in several regions, including Sumy, where local officials said guided bombs killed three people, among them two children. In the southern Kherson region, officials said a Russian drone destroyed the 300-year-old Holy Vvedenska Church.

Russian investigators have not indicated that the Sevastopol shooting was connected to the wider conflict. Nevertheless, it occurred during another period of escalating cross-border drone and missile attacks between Russia and Ukraine, as both sides continued long-range strikes well beyond the front line.