Soldier kills four in gun rampage in Russian-occupied Crimea

A military personnel opened fire on his comrades in Russian‑occupied Crimea, killing one soldier and wounding another before proceeding to the settlement of Khmelnytske, where he shot dead three civilians—a 71‑year‑old man, a 59‑year‑old man and a 64‑year‑old woman—and left three additional people injured, Moscow‑installed official Mikhail Razvozhayev said. He added that the attacker has been detained and that investigators are working to establish a motive. "The doctors are doing everything imaginable to save" the wounded, Razvozhayev said, urging the public to rely only on authoritative information and not to "spread unverified rumours" about the shooter’s motives or identity. The assailant has not been publicly identified, and officials have not disclosed which unit of the Russian armed forces he belonged to. It remains uncertain whether the death toll will increase. Russia has controlled the Crimean peninsula since 2014, a move regarded by the overwhelming majority of the international community as illegal and as part of Ukrainian territory. Moscow maintains a significant military presence in the region, which Kyiv has repeatedly targeted with drone and rocket strikes.