At a Russian military firing range near Ukraine today, two volunteer soldiers opened fire on other soldiers, killing 11 and injuring 15, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
The incident happened in the southwest Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, according to a statement from the ministry. It said that the two volunteers from an unnamed ex-Soviet nation fired on other soldiers during target practice and were killed by return fire.
The event was classified as a terrorist attack by the ministry.
The incident occurs as President Vladimir Putin hastily mobilises Russian military in Ukraine, an action that sparked riots and forced hundreds of thousands to escape Russia.
Putin said yesterday that over 220,000 reservists already had been called up as part of an effort to recruit 300,000.
Despite the Russian president’s declaration that only those who had recently served in the military would be called up, activists and rights organisations reported that military conscription offices were rounding up individuals without any prior military experience, some of whom were also medically unfit for duty.
Some of the recently recalled reservists shared recordings of how they were handed rusted weapons and made to sleep on the ground or even outside before being transferred to the front lines.
Authorities have admitted that the mobilisation was frequently poorly planned and made improvements.
11 people are killed and 15 injured in a military shooting in Russia.
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