Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Shooting Child

A Russian man has been given an 18-month jail sentence for shooting a 6-year-old boy in the head with an air pistol while drunk, according to a police statement issued Wednesday.

The 43-year-old man fired on the boy while he was playing with other children in a kindergarten in the Urals town of Irbit, according to a court decision cited by local police. After his parents brought him to a hospital, doctors extracted a bullet that they found lodged in flesh below the child's chin.

At the time of the attack on June 1, police said the man was drunk.

"Seeing that a bullet had hit a boy, the shooter returned to his room, hid the pistol in a chest and for several days did not leave the building and did not open the door,” the police statement said.

About 40 police officers were involved in the search for the perpetrator, who was living in a dormitory near the scene of the crime.

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