A mass shooting in Kyiv's central district on April 18, 2026, resulted in six deaths and at least 14 injuries. The gunman, identified as Russian-born with ties to the Donetsk region, took hostages before being shot by police.
Key Takeaways
A mass shooting in Kyiv's central district resulted in six deaths and at least 14 injuries. The Russian-born gunman took hostages before being shot by police.
- Six people killed, including four on the street and one in hospital
- At least 14 injured, with eight still hospitalized
- Gunman had prior criminal record and ties to Donetsk region
- Incident investigated as potential terrorist act
The attack began when the suspect set fire to an apartment and then went out into the street armed with a weapon. He took at least four hostages inside a convenience store, killing one of them. Four others were fatally shot on the street, and another woman died in hospital from her injuries. According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the attacker had a prior criminal record.
Ukraine’s special tactical police units stormed the convenience store after attempts to negotiate with the gunman failed. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated that officers tried without success to contact the suspect for 40 minutes. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is investigating the incident as a potential terrorist act.
The shooting occurred amidst widespread Russian attacks across northern and eastern Ukraine, including strikes on port infrastructure in Odesa and an attack in Mykolaivka that left one person dead. Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed that those injured included a child whose parents were killed in the shooting. The child is reported to be in moderate condition.
Eight people remain hospitalized, with one adult reportedly in critical condition. The supermarket where the hostage situation occurred has been cordoned off and remains closed. Bullet holes are visible in windows of the supermarket, and blood stains can still be seen on the pavement and asphalt. Flowers were left near a residential building a couple of hundred meters from the supermarket, where the shooter shot his first victims.
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