A gunman opened fire in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district on April 18, 2026, killing six people and injuring at least 14 others before police neutralized him during a supermarket hostage standoff.3638
Sequence of Events
The attacker first set fire to his registered apartment in the city. He then targeted passersby on a busy street, fatally shooting four individuals at close range with an automatic weapon.36 Among the wounded was a 12-year-old boy whose parents also perished in the assault.
The suspect barricaded himself inside a nearby supermarket, taking hostages. One hostage died during the incident, and another succumbed to injuries at a hospital, bringing the death toll to six.38
Gunman Profile
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko identified the 58-year-old perpetrator as a Moscow native with a prior criminal record. He had resided in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Donetsk region and legally possessed the firearm via a medical certificate.3638 Neighbors described him as reclusive and polite but distant.
Police Response and Investigation
Authorities engaged in a 40-minute negotiation, but the gunman failed to respond. Special forces stormed the store, eliminating the threat and rescuing remaining hostages.36 Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko oversaw the operation.
The Ukraine Security Service classifies the attack as terrorism. Investigators examine the gunman’s devices and contacts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a rare occurrence amid ongoing Russian strikes and ordered a thorough probe.36 This marks the first major mass shooting in Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 invasion.38
