Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an official probe into the shooting carried out by a member of the national guard, which left five people dead and several critically injured. 

The bout of violence saw a 21-year-old national guard conscript open fire at an aerospace factory in the centre of Ukraine. 

Zelensky, in a statement, said, “I expect law enforcement officers to keep the public fully informed about all the circumstances of this crime”, as per AFP. He described the incident as terrible and offered condolences to all those impacted by it. The President asked that the gunman’s motives be investigated and there should be inquiries made into how this event was allowed to happen. 

Also Read | Canada to send ‘non-lethal equipment’ to Ukraine as border crisis swells

The shooting claimed the lives of a civilian woman and four members of the national guard. The shooter opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle and fled the scene immediately. 

Artemiy Ryabchuk, the gunman, turned himself in to the police, triggering an investigation of the negligence in the leadership of the national guard. Notably, if the assailant is found guilty, he faces life in prison. 

Also Read | Joe Biden warns Russia’s Vladimir Putin of personal sanctions amid invasion fears

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky referred to this, saying “Following my order, a commission will be set up to study the circumstances that led to these actions being taken by a 21-year-old soldier, who had been called to defend his country and be responsible for security — and not to shoot his colleagues”. There is also going to be an examination of how Ryabchuk passed his military medical evaluations, and how he’d been cleared to carry a firearm.

Also Read | Ukrainian mother arms herself with hunting rifle, vows to defend Kiyv against Russian invasion

The incident comes at a time when the country faces an imminent threat of invasion from Russia. However, authorities have not found the two events to be linked. They have also urged Ukrainians to remain calm, saying that there is no evidence of Russia having any immediate plans to invade.