On Saturday, April 18, a tragic incident unfolded in the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv when an armed man opened fire on pedestrians and took hostages in a local supermarket. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, who posted an official statement on Telegram, the attacker was eliminated during a special operation. Concurrently, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko shared details regarding the hospitalized victims on Telegram. Detailed information about the identity and background of the shooter was promptly uncovered and published by the online news outlet Ukrainska Pravda.
The terror attack began in the afternoon. Preliminary reports indicate that the perpetrator first set his own apartment on fire. Armed with an automatic rifle, he then walked out onto a busy street in the Holosiivskyi district and began indiscriminately shooting at passersby. The chaos was captured on video by eyewitnesses, showing the man running and firing at anyone in his path. Following the street shooting, the attacker stormed into the “Velmart” supermarket on Demiivka, barricading himself inside and taking numerous shoppers and employees hostage.
Law enforcement agencies quickly identified the terrorist. He was Dmytro Vasylchenkov, born on April 21, 1968, in Moscow. Despite his birthplace, he held Ukrainian citizenship. Vasylchenkov previously lived in the frontline city of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region before relocating to the Holosiivskyi district of Kyiv. Investigators are currently working to determine the exact motives behind the 58-year-old’s horrific actions, conducting thorough background checks and posthumous psychological profiling.
The attack resulted in devastating consequences. While initial reports mentioned only one or two victims, the death toll tragically rose as the situation unfolded. Official updates confirmed that at least five innocent people were killed by the gunman. Furthermore, around ten individuals, including an eight-year-old child and a supermarket security guard, sustained various injuries and were urgently hospitalized. Medics provided immediate life-saving care at the scene before transferring the wounded to nearby medical facilities.
As the hostage situation escalated, the area was heavily cordoned off by the National Police and special forces. Professional negotiators attempted to establish contact with the shooter, hoping to persuade him to lay down his weapon and peacefully release the hostages. However, the man remained highly aggressive and repeatedly fired at police officers. Given the imminent threat to the lives of the hostages, the command made the decision to execute a tactical assault.
Operatives of the elite KORD special unit swiftly stormed the supermarket. The terrorist actively resisted the arrest and was eliminated by return fire. Fortunately, all the remaining hostages were successfully rescued and safely evacuated from the premises. Following the successful neutralization of the threat, investigative teams, forensic experts, and explosive specialists continued their meticulous work at the crime scene. This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the critical importance of rapid response by law enforcement to protect civilian lives.