A 72-year-old man is in custody after allegedly killing five internally displaced people in the Rivne region of Ukraine on Tuesday, February 10, according to reports from local authorities.
The incident occurred around 4:10 a.m. At a former school building housing displaced individuals in the village of Sudobychi. A social worker alerted police after hearing screams coming from the shared living quarters, officials said.
Investigators determined that a dispute between the suspect, a native of the Donetsk region, and other residents escalated into a violent attack. The man allegedly used both a hammer and an axe to strike the five victims, resulting in their deaths at the scene.
Those killed included two men, aged 60 and 68, two women from the Donetsk region, aged 81 and 78, and a 56-year-old woman originally from the Kirovograd region.
Patrol officers were the first to respond and apprehended the suspect. He is now being held while investigators from the Dubno District Police Department and the Main Directorate of the National Police in the region, along with forensic specialists, process the scene. The Dubno District Prosecutor’s Office and the Rivne Regional Prosecutor’s Office are overseeing the proceedings.
Authorities have launched a pre-trial investigation under Article 115, Part 2, Clause 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which covers the intentional murder of two or more persons. A decision regarding formal charges and preventative measures is pending.
The attack highlights the immense strain placed on Ukraine’s social infrastructure as it continues to accommodate millions of people displaced by the ongoing conflict. The investigation is ongoing.
