Details revealed in fatal shooting of Azerbaijanis in Ukraine's Fastiv

New details have emerged regarding the fatal shooting of two Azerbaijani individuals in the city of Fastiv, Kyiv region of Ukraine, Report has learned from sources within Ukrainian law enforcement.

The perpetrator has been identified as Oleksandr Volodymyrovych Ivanenko, born in 1973, a Ukrainian citizen and resident of Fastiv. He reportedly served in the Ukrainian armed forces from spring 2022 to autumn 2023.

According to Dmytro Prokudin, head of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, the incident occurred on August 31 and stemmed from a street altercation between the suspect and watermelon vendors, who were ethnic Azerbaijanis and Ukrainian citizens.

"The victims were father and son - Ferman Rahimov and his son Ismayil," Prokudin said. "An argument broke out during a conversation with the suspect, who is a former soldier. As the conflict escalated, the 52-year-old Fastiv resident returned home, retrieved a pistol, came back, and began shooting at the two men."

As a result, Ismayil Rahimov died at the scene. His father, Ferman Rahimov, sustained injuries but was treated and has since been discharged from the hospital. He is currently arranging his son's funeral.

A police officer who happened to be nearby at the time - though off duty - responded immediately. "Fulfilling his civic duty, the officer managed to apprehend the armed individual on the spot. Other law enforcement personnel arrived shortly after and placed the suspect under arrest," the prosecutor said.

Prokudin added that the suspect has been charged under three articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, the most serious of which is attempted murder of two or more individuals - an offense that carries a potential penalty of 10 years to life imprisonment.

The prosecutor also noted that all necessary forensic examinations have been ordered. As of now, the investigation has not found evidence that the crime was motivated by ethnic or racial hatred.