Russian soldier reportedly opens fire on unit mates near Ukrainian border

A Russian contract soldier in the country’s Belgorod region shot several of his fellow servicemen before fleeing his unit on Thursday night, according to multiple Russian Telegram channels. At least two soldiers are reported to have died.

The channel Pepel reported that the prime suspect in the alleged shooting is a man named Alexey Zhuravlev from Russia’s Chuvashia Republic. “According to preliminary information, the soldier opened fire because he wanted to desert and couldn’t find any other way,” the channel said.

According to the channel VChK-OGPU, the gunman shot his unit mates after they repeatedly insulted him during a drinking session.

It’s unclear whether the alleged shooter is still armed. According to the channel Baza, a weapon was found near the site of the incident.

These reports have not been verified by Meduza or corroborated by official sources.