Gunman Attack in Kyiv Triggers Major Police Operation After Fatal Shooting

An unknown gunman opened fire on civilians in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv, prompting a massive police response and a special operation to apprehend the shooter, the Kyiv Police reported on April 18.

According to preliminary information provided by law enforcement, at least two people have been killed and several others, including a child have been wounded in the attack. Authorities are currently on the ground working to clarify the exact number of casualties.

The gunman then took hostages and barricaded himself inside the “Velmart” supermarket.

Patrol police units and the elite KORD (Rapid Operational Response Unit) special forces have been urgently dispatched to the scene to neutralize the threat, secure the area, and hunt down the perpetrator.

“According to medical officials, two people have been killed so far in the Holosiivskyi district. Five people injured in the street shooting have been admitted to hospitals in the capital. Among them is one child, as well as a security guard from the supermarket where the shooter burst in and is currently holed up,” Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko reported.

This is a developing story. We will continue to monitor the situation and update this page as more information from law enforcement becomes available.

UPDATE: Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko reported that the gunman in Kyiv was killed during his arrest.

“Special forces from the National Police’s KORD unit stormed the store where the attacker was located. He had taken people hostage and fired at police officers during the arrest. Prior to this, negotiators had attempted to make contact with him, ‘ he wrote.

“The number of victims is being determined. There are fatalities and injuries,” Klymenko continued.

Just months prior, the SBU thwarted another armed incident when they caught a Russian FSB agent red-handed attempting to assassinate a Ukrainian military intelligence officer in central Kyiv. The operative, who had retrieved a pistol and ammunition from a hidden weapons cache in the city, was arrested the exact moment he drew his weapon in a public venue.

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