A man fatally shot a Ukrainian soldier and the soldier’s mother-in-law in a village outside Kyiv on May 8 in a dispute over payment for an illegal arms sale, the police said.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential suburb just west of Kyiv in the Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Witnesses reported gunfire to emergency services. A police tactical unit launched a special operation and arrested the suspect within an hour of the attack.
According to the police, the 63-year-old suspect had purchased a weapon from the serviceman for $1,000 about a month ago.
On May 8, the two men got into an argument over an additional payment allegedly demanded by the soldier, during which the buyer used the gun to shoot and kill the serviceman and his mother-in-law at their home. He then returned to his own house and locked himself inside, police said.
Authorities surrounded the residence and took the man into custody. He is currently being held under criminal procedure.
The case is under investigation and has been classified as premeditated murder and illegal possession of weapons, Kyiv regional police said.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
(Updated: )
