Ukraine Opens Terror Probe After Deadly Kyiv Supermarket Siege Leaves Seven Dead

Kyiv: Ukrainian authorities have opened a terrorism investigation after a gunman killed seven people and wounded several others in a shooting and hostage crisis at a supermarket in Kyiv, in one of the deadliest such incidents in the country in recent years.

The attack unfolded in the Holosiivskyi district when the assailant allegedly began firing at civilians on a public street before moving into a supermarket, where the violence escalated into a hostage situation.

Officials said multiple people were killed at the scene, while others later succumbed to injuries in hospital, taking the death toll to seven. Several injured victims remain under treatment, including critically wounded patients.

According to investigators, the attacker used a legally registered automatic firearm and reportedly fired indiscriminately at people before barricading himself inside the store with hostages.

Security forces launched a tactical operation after negotiations failed to produce a response from the gunman. Special police units eventually stormed the supermarket, where the suspect was shot dead during the confrontation, officials said.

Authorities said hostages held inside the store were rescued during the operation.

Ukraine’s Attorney General has classified the case as a terrorism investigation, while law enforcement agencies continue to examine the suspect’s motives, background and possible links to other criminal or extremist activity.

In a parallel development, Ukrainian police have opened an internal inquiry into officers’ conduct after footage surfaced appearing to show some personnel retreating from the scene during the early stages of the attack. The incident has already prompted a senior police official’s resignation.

Investigators are also examining a fire reported at a residence linked to the suspect around the time of the shooting, as authorities pursue multiple lines of inquiry.

The attack has sent shockwaves across Ukraine, where large-scale mass shootings remain uncommon despite the country’s wartime security environment.