A gunman shot the leader of a local military committee in a Siberian town on Monday, local authorities reported, in an apparent protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s mobilization order.
In a graphic video posted on social media, one shot is heard and a man falls to the ground, while the gunman is also seen identifying himself to police officers as 25-year-old Ruslan Zinin.
The shooter was detained by police on suspicion of endangering the life of a law enforcement officer and illegal possession of weapons, according to the statement from the authorities. A criminal case has been opened against him.
The governor of the Irkutsk region, Igor Kobzev, wrote on Telegram that the military commissar, Alexander Eliseev, “is in intensive care, in critical condition. The doctors are fighting for his life,” he said, adding that “the shooter was immediately arrested. And he will definitely be punished!”
According to eyewitnesses, the gunman said: “Nobody is going to go anywhere” moments before opening fire.
This is the latest demonstration against Putin’s mass mobilization of 300,000 troops. Russians have protested against the call-up in recent days, holding scattered rallies across Russia despite threats of arrest, while others have attempted to flee the country.
Grace Stranger contributed reporting.
