Gunman kills five Ukrainian soldiers near Kharkiv, probe under way

On Tuesday afternoon, an unknown man in civilian clothes armed with an assault rifle shot dead five Ukrainian soldiers who were living in an ordinary residential building near Kharkiv, local authorities said. Investigators are looking into several theories, including a possible link between the attacker and a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group, the prosecutor's office said.

According to Ukrainian media, citing police sources, the gunman approached the house where soldiers of the 72nd Brigade were quartered. He first killed one soldier, then went inside and shot four more. The attacker then fled. One Ukrainian outlet reported that the whole episode lasted about two hours.

The brigade itself does not rule out that there was more than one attacker. “According to preliminary information, persons believed to be citizens of the Russian Federation may have been involved in the incident,” the brigade said in a statement cited by the Ukrinform agency. Authorities are now establishing all the circumstances of the attack and searching for possible accomplices.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz