Five killed in Kyiv supermarket shooting, gunman shot dead

April 18, 2026 / 9:13 PM

A policeman walks past a body of a person shot by a gunman outside a supermarket in Kyiv

Sharjah 24 – AFP: Five people were killed in Kyiv on Saturday after a gunman opened fire and took hostages at a supermarket before being killed during an arrest attempt, officials said.

Injuries and rescue of hostages

Volodymyr Zelensky said at least 10 people were hospitalised with wounds and trauma following the attack in a residential district in the south of the city. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the suspect entered a supermarket after opening fire, while four hostages were later rescued. Zelensky confirmed that the attacker had been eliminated and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

Scene and ongoing investigation

The supermarket was cordoned off by heavy security, with police and investigators deployed at the scene. The motive behind the attack was not immediately known, and authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

40-minute standoff and suspect details

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the suspect was a 58-year-old man who used an automatic weapon. The standoff with police negotiators lasted around 40 minutes, according to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko, who said efforts to persuade the gunman failed before security forces moved in and killed him after he reportedly shot one of the hostages.