Russian serviceman detained in Kharkiv also suspected of killing civilian fisherman to avoid exposure

According to Ukrinform, the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office announced the information on Telegram.

Investigators believe the Russian national may have been part of a sabotage and reconnaissance group belonging to the Russian armed forces and changed into civilian clothing to avoid being identified.

“First, he made his way to the Tsyrkuny community. There, near a body of water, he saw a man fishing. According to preliminary information, the Russian serviceman feared that the civilian would expose him, so he killed the man. An examination of the body revealed a gunshot wound that passed through the head,” the prosecutor’s office reported.

According to the agency, on October 13, the armed Russian soldier reached the village of Momotove, entered a private house where Ukrainian defenders were temporarily staying, and killed five Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen. He then left the scene, disposed of his automatic weapon, and continued moving through a wooded strip toward Kharkiv.

The detainee is a 36-year-old Russian citizen born in St. Petersburg who served in the 2nd Battalion of the 1009th Motorized Rifle Regiment.

As Ukrinform previously reported, on October 13, an unidentified man killed five Ukrainian servicemen with an automatic weapon in Kharkiv district. According to investigators, a man dressed in civilian clothes approached a building where military personnel were temporarily staying and opened fire.

The 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians confirmed that the victims were its servicemen and said the killings were likely committed by Russian nationals.

The Office of the Prosecutor General said investigators were examining several possible scenarios, including whether the attacker might have belonged to a Russian armed forces sabotage and reconnaissance group.

On the evening of October 14, the suspect was arrested in Kharkiv.