Gunman shoots four recruitment officers in Odesa ambush

Around 7:30 p.m. on August 2, police received reports of gunfire in the Cheremushky neighborhood of Odesa. According to the National Police Main Directorate in Odesa region, an unknown man fired several pistol shots at district TЦК and СП personnel who were conducting a public notification drive.

Four servicemen were injured. Local media reported that one sustained a serious back wound and required urgent hospitalization, while the other three sought medical help on their own. The shooting reportedly took place on Kosmonavtiv Street.

The attacker initially fled and barricaded himself inside an apartment in a residential building. Police and special units surrounded the location and prepared to storm the flat. Hours later, law enforcement confirmed the arrest of a 32-year-old man suspected in the attack.

Preliminary findings indicate the shots were fired from a pistol chambered for Flobert rounds. Investigators opened criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Article 114-1 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which addresses obstruction of the lawful activities of the Armed Forces and other military formations.

The incident adds to a series of recent attacks on TЦК personnel in the Odesa region. In June, a serviceman fired a starting pistol during a conflict with TЦК workers without causing casualties. Earlier, a service vehicle was blocked, allowing three conscripts to escape, and a notification group was attacked with gas. In May, a man stabbed two TЦК employees, leaving them in serious condition.