Kyiv supermarket shooting investigation has opened in Ukraine after a violent attack in the capital left six people dead, several injured, and a city confronting one of its rare mass-casualty shootings in recent years.
The incident began in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district when a 58-year-old man opened fire on civilians in the street. Four people were killed almost immediately before the attacker moved into a nearby Velmart supermarket.
Inside the store, the violence continued. One more person was killed, and several shoppers were taken hostage during a tense situation that lasted around 40 minutes.
Police later confirmed that the gunman was shot dead at the scene after a standoff with special forces.
Ukraine’s Attorney General Ruslan Kravchenko said the case is being investigated as an act of terrorism, signaling the seriousness with which officials are approaching the incident.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko described the attacker’s behavior as erratic and unpredictable, saying he “acted chaotically” and fired at people at close range without warning.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that special forces managed to rescue four hostages during the operation, preventing further loss of life inside the store.
Among the victims is a young boy born in 2015 who survived but sustained gunshot wounds. His father and aunt were killed during the attack. His mother remains in serious condition in hospital.
Medical teams continue to treat other injured civilians, while authorities have not yet released a full breakdown of all those affected.
The attack has also triggered questions about how law enforcement handled the early moments of the incident.
A video circulating after the shooting showed officers withdrawing from the scene, prompting public criticism and an internal review. National Police chief Ivan Vyhivskyi has launched an investigation into police conduct during the response.
Following the controversy, Yevhen Zhukov, head of the Kyiv patrol police department, resigned. He described the officers’ actions as “unprofessional” and said they did not meet expected standards.
Authorities are now trying to understand what led to the attack. The gunman, originally from Moscow and later based in Ukraine, had a prior criminal record.
Investigators also noted that his registered apartment was set on fire around the same time as the shooting, adding another layer to the ongoing inquiry.
Officials are reviewing several possible motives while avoiding early conclusions.
One of the key questions under investigation is how the attacker obtained and used a registered automatic weapon during the assault.
President Zelensky has called for a full review of all circumstances, stating that every detail must be examined to understand both the motive and the failures that allowed the violence to unfold.
Although mass shootings are uncommon in Ukraine’s post-independence history, the scale and nature of this attack have raised concerns about security, policing readiness, and weapons control procedures.
