Russian Soldier in Crimea Shoots and Kills Fellow Serviceman and 3 Civilians

Aug. 4, 2026 mos.ru A Russian soldier has been taken into custody after opening fire on fellow servicemen and launching a deadly shooting spree in annexed Crimea, the Moscow-installed governor said Tuesday. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the governor of the southern Crimean city of Sevastopol, said four people were killed in the village of Khmelnitskoye. They included one soldier and three civilians aged 71, 64 and 59. Four others, including one soldier, were wounded, with Razvozhayev saying that medical personnel were “doing everything possible to save them.” “The attacker has been detained,” Razvozhayev wrote in a post on Telegram. The exiled news outlet Agentstvo, citing a screenshot from a local chat group, claimed to have identified the alleged shooter as 21-year-old Maxim Alistratov from southern Russia’s Saratov region. The Moscow Times could not independently verify that report. The chat group warned residents that the soldier had fled into the woods after shooting at fellow servicemen. Read more about: Crimea , Russian military , Shooting Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more At Least 30 Dead After Russian Military Transport Plane Crashes in Annexed Crimea Russia’s Defense Ministry said the crash was likely caused by a “technical malfunction.” 1 Min read Crimean Court Jails 2 for Passing Russian Military Data to Ukraine The men were each sentenced to 13 and 15 years in maximum-security prison. 1 Min read Crimean Pair Arrested Over Russian Naval Officer’s Car Bomb Killing Ukrainian security services claimed responsibility for last week’s attack in Sevastopol, which killed Captain First Rank Valery Trankovsky. 1 Min read Car Blast Kills Soldier in Annexed Crimea, Russian Officials Say Police investigators launched a terrorism investigation into the incident, saying that the blast was likely caused by an explosive device. 2 Min read