Interior Ministry not confirming media reports of murder of guards in Karavan by Russian killer

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry has not confirmed reports that a Russian killer, who has already killed at least 18 people, shot dead three security guards in the Karavan shopping mall in Kyiv.

"We are not confirming these reports," the ministry's spokesperson, Volodymyr Polischuk, told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday, while commenting on reports in the media.

Earlier, Forbes.ua reported, citing a source in the Interior Ministry, that the ministry had identified the criminal who killed three security guards and seriously wounded another one in the Karavan shopping mall.

"The murder was committed by a Russian killer, who, according to unconfirmed reports, has already killed 18 people," reads the statement.

As reported, a robber shot dead three employees of a private security firm and seriously wounded another one in the Karavan shopping mall on Luhova Street in Kyiv on September 26. One of the security guards saw a visitor stealing a USB flash drive from a glass case. The guard asked the man to go to the back room, where other guards were waiting. In the room the man pulled out a gun and started shooting, killing three security guards on the spot and seriously wounding a fourth one. The attacker then fled the scene.

The Obolon District Police Office has opened a criminal case on the incident.