Footage shows a Russian man shooting a draft officer rather than joining the nation’s fight in Ukraine. The clip shows the man carrying a shotgun, opening fire just feet from the recruiting officer, who collapses immediately. 

Anton Gerashchenko, the advisor to the Internal Affairs Minister of Ukraine, shared the video where the gunman – Ruslan Zinin, born in 1997- is then seen moving towards the room. The other occupants flee and a woman can be heard screaming. 

Alexandr Yeliseev, the commander, was shot four times, almost at point blank range, as per the tweet, and the clip ends with the gunman on his knees identifying himself to the Russian captors. 

Gerashchenko noted that he was a “partially mobilized” man after Russian President Vladimir Putin issued the order to bolster troops to help his fight in Ukraine. “He decided jail is better than death in Ukraine”, Gerashchenko added. 

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The Ukrainian also said witnesses reported the shooter saying, “No one will go to war, we’ll all go home now”. 

The Guardian, citing local sources, said that the gunman attacked the military commandant after he gave a speech trying to encourage the men to go and fight in Ukraine. After Putin’s call for partial mobilization, many have tried to flee the country and there have been reports of old and sick people accidentally being called to serve the country. Protests have broken out in Russia again and authorities are cracking down on dissenters. 

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The gunman, however, did not kill the drafting officer contrary to Gerashchenko’s reports. Irkutsk governor Igor Kobzev said that chief enlistment officer Alexander Yeliseyev was critically wounded and fighting for his life, as per The Moscow Times. 

The governor vowed that the shooter would be punished and promised beefed-up security at recruitment spots. “I am ashamed that this is happening at a time when, on the contrary, we should be united. We must not fight with each but against real threats”, Kobzev added.