Support The Moscow Times!

Police Kill Russian Man Attempting to Strangle, Burn Young Daughter Alive

A man was gunned down by police after he set his 9-year-old daughter on fire.

A man in the Urals city of Orsk was gunned down by police after he set his 9-year-old daughter on fire, and then strangled her in an apparent bid to expedite her death, the regional branch of Russia's Investigative Committee reported Monday.  

The macabre incident occurred on Sunday night, after the 30-year-old man got into a heated argument with his ex-wife. The man threatened to commit suicide and kill the couple's 9-year-old daughter, barricading himself and the child in the attic of their house in Orsk, a city some 1,750 kilometers southeast of Moscow. The man doused himself, his daughter and the attic with gasoline before setting the premises on fire, investigators said in a statement.

The man attempted to escape the blaze by crawling through a broken window, but as he began to hoist himself out, he saw police officers approaching. He reached back into the burning room, grabbed his young daughter, who was burnt but still alive, and strangled her.

A police officer ordered the man to release the child, threatening to draw his weapon. When the man refused to obey, the officer fatally shot him.

The child was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for burn wounds of varying severity. She succumbed to her injuries on Monday, investigators said.

Investigators have launched a criminal case into the child's death and are assessing the circumstances surrounding the incident. Materials recovered at the man's home suggest he might have been a drug user, the investigators' statement said.

The man had been charged earlier this month with making a death threat against his ex-wife, according to investigators. The couple had ended their 10-year marriage in January.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more