Ukraine authorities said that at least five people have been killed in a shooting incident at an aerospace factory based in the eastern part of the country. The interior ministry said a member of the National Guard opened fire on Thursday.

The ministry explained in a statement that the incident, which occurred early on Thursday, happened during the issuance of weapons to the National Guard members. According to reports from the Guardian, the shooting took place at the Pivdenmash missile factory in Dnipro.

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The attacker, who fled the scene after shooting at least five people, used a Kalashnikov assault rifle. Five others have also been wounded in the incident, the interior ministry of Ukraine said.

The National Guard member was about to begin their shift around 3:40 AM local time, when the shooting took place.

The interior ministry of Ukraine did not reveal the identity of the shooter but said that they were born in 2001. Law enforcement officers have also initiated an operation to locate them, according to reports from Guardian.

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The statement further disclosed that the motive of the shooting remains unclear, however, National Guard commander Nikolai Balan has been deployed to the crime scene.

The news comes as Ukraine is facing a tense situation on its eastern borders as Russia has been stepping up its military presence, mounting fears of a possible invasion. Diplomatic efforts from both sides have not seemed to work so far.

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The west– comprising Europe and allies of NATO– have vowed to counter any Russian aggression at the Ukrainian border with “severe sanctions”. United States President Joe Biden has also hinted that he would also not back out of rolling out personal sanctions of Russian President Vladimir Putin.