Oleg Tsaryov, a pro-Russia Ukrainian politician with a controversial past, was shot and wounded where he lives in Yalta, Crimea.
Family members and officials have confirmed the incident, which has prompted Russia’s top investigative body to launch a criminal inquiry into the attempt on Tsaryov’s life.
The 53-year-old, who previously served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament and was a speaker of the parliament of “Novorossiya”, found himself at the centre of the latest in a series of targeted attacks on prominent pro-Moscow figures since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tsaryov’s Telegram account posted a statement: “Around midnight, he was shot twice on the premises of the sanatorium where he lives.
“When the ambulance arrived, Oleg was unconscious and had lost a lot of blood.”
Several pro-war Russian figures have been added to the Myrotvorets (“Peacemaker”) database, a vast unofficial Ukrainian record of those considered to be enemies of the country.
Notable names in this list include journalist Darya Dugina, war blogger Vladlen Tatarsky, and former submarine commander Stanislav Rzhitsky. Dugina and Tatarsky met their tragic ends in bomb explosions, while Rzhitsky was shot dead during an early morning run.
Oleg Tsaryov has long been a controversial figure, not only in Ukraine but on the international stage as well.
He was previously sanctioned by Ukraine, the United States, and multiple Western countries, earning him the title of a “traitor to the motherland” in the Myrotvorets database.
In response to inquiries regarding Tsaryov’s condition, Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, responded cautiously, saying: “We won’t comment in too much detail yet, that’s too much of an honour for him. But yes, there is such information. I can’t say we’re following his health very closely, but we are following.”
He continued: “When there is information that his body temperature has fallen below 36.6, there will definitely be a statement.”
