Kyiv Shooting: Six Killed, 14 Injured as Gunman Dies in Police Shoot-out

No fewer than six persons were killed and 14 others injured on Saturday after a gunman opened fire on residents in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, before taking hostages in a supermarket in the southern Holosiivskyi district.

Authorities confirmed that the attacker was later killed during a shoot-out with security operatives, bringing an end to the tense standoff that left the city reeling.

Ukraine’s Interior Minister, Igor Klymenko, disclosed that two police officers who were seen in a viral video abandoning civilians at the scene had been suspended, adding that an investigation into their conduct had commenced.

Footage circulating online showed officers reportedly withdrawing from the scene as the attack unfolded, sparking outrage and raising concerns over police response.

Klymenko, in a statement posted on Telegram, stressed the need for accountability. He said, “‘Serve and protect’ is not just a slogan. It must be supported by appropriate professional actions, especially at critical moments when people’s lives depend on it.”

He, however, cautioned against generalising the conduct of the entire police force based on the actions of a few officers.

Further condemning the officers’ behaviour, a senior official, Zhukov, told a press conference on Sunday that they “failed to assess the situation properly and left civilians in danger,” describing their actions as “unprofessional and unworthy.”

Zhukov subsequently announced his resignation, stating, “As a combat officer, I have decided to submit my resignation from the position I currently hold.”

Ukrainian authorities have classified the incident as a terrorist act, although the motive behind the attack remains unclear.

Klymenko noted that the suspect’s mental state appeared “clearly unstable.”

Eight of the injured victims are still receiving treatment in hospital, with one adult reported to be in extremely critical condition, while three others remain in serious condition.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a reaction on Sunday, criticised the officers involved, stating that they were present at the scene but “did not stop the murderer and fled on their own.”

He described their actions as “inaction” and confirmed that a criminal investigation had been launched, which would also examine their previous service records.

“We are going through a war and every day, unfortunately, there are human losses from Russian strikes. It is especially painful to lose people like this, in an ordinary city, just on the street,” Zelensky said.

Authorities have begun releasing details about the victims, revealing that one of those killed was the father of a child injured during the attack, while another victim was believed to be the child’s aunt.

The gunman, identified as a 58-year-old man originally from Moscow, had reportedly been residing in Kyiv’s Holosiivskyi district prior to the incident.

Officials said he previously lived in the eastern Donetsk region, an area heavily impacted by conflict and Russian occupation.

Investigators confirmed that the firearm used in the attack was legally registered.

However, efforts are ongoing to determine how the suspect obtained and renewed the necessary licence.

Although Kyiv has frequently been targeted in the ongoing war with Russia, officials noted that incidents of this nature remain rare in the city.

Klymenko ruled out an immediate mass review of gun ownership laws, insisting that citizens should retain the right to armed self-defence, particularly in light of the country’s ongoing security challenges.

Ukrainian law permits civilians to own non-automatic firearms under strict licensing conditions, including the absence of a criminal record or history of mental illness.

US-Iran Standoff Intensifies Despite Proposed Talks

Crisis between the United States and Iran have escalated sharply despite fresh diplomatic efforts, as conflicting claims over proposed talks and renewed threats deepen uncertainty over the ongoing standoffs.

United States President, Donald Trump, on Sunday announced that an American delegation would arrive in Pakistan for another round of negotiations aimed at ending the war, now in its eighth week.

The delegation is expected to be led by Vice-President JD Vance, marking a continuation of high-level engagement after earlier talks in Islamabad ended without a breakthrough.

However, Iran’s state media swiftly dismissed reports of fresh negotiations, describing them as untrue, even as Washington insisted talks would proceed, highlighting growing mistrust between both sides.

The renewed diplomatic push comes amid rising hostilities, with both countries trading accusations of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement.

Trump accused Iran of breaching the truce after reports of gunfire directed at vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil route, warning that such actions could derail ongoing peace efforts.

In response, Tehran accused the United States of breaching the same agreement by maintaining a blockade on Iranian ports, further complicating negotiations.

The situation has had immediate global implications, as shipping activities in the Strait of Hormuz have again been disrupted following Iran’s decision to shut the waterway.

Diaspora Watch Newspaper reports that the strait handles a significant portion of the world’s oil supply, making any disruption a major concern for global markets.

Amid the escalating standoff, Trump issued fresh warnings, threatening to target key Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges, if a deal is not reached.

Despite the tough rhetoric, the US leader maintained that negotiations remain the preferred path, even as uncertainty surrounds Iran’s willingness to participate.

Background checks show that the latest move follows a marathon round of talks held in Islamabad last week, which lasted over 20 hours but ended without agreement, with both sides divided over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, and control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks were the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades, underscoring the seriousness of the crisis.

Analysts say the core disagreement remains unresolved, with the US demanding stricter limits on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while Iran insists on sanctions relief and security guarantees before making concessions.

Pope Warns Against Renewed Scramble for Africa’s Resources

Pope Leo XIV has condemned what he described as the continued exploitation of Africa’s vast natural resources by global powers, warning that the rush for critical minerals powering the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution risks deepening inequality and conflict across the continent.

The pontiff, speaking during an open-air Mass in Cameroon attended by more than 120,000 worshippers, said Africa’s rich deposits of rare earth minerals and strategic resources were being aggressively pursued without corresponding benefits to local communities.

He cautioned against what he called the “relentless pursuit of raw material and rare earths,” noting that the same resources underpinning modern technologies such as AI are largely extracted from African soil.

The Mass, held at the Japoma Stadium in Douala, marked the largest turnout so far in his 11-day Africa tour, with thousands of faithful camping overnight to secure seats and braving intense heat to witness the event.

As crowds waved and cheered his arrival in the Popemobile, the Pope used the platform to draw attention to what he framed as a structural imbalance in global development, where resource-rich African nations remain economically disadvantaged despite their central role in the global supply chain.

Countries across Africa, including Cameroon, are known to possess significant deposits of cobalt, lithium, and other rare earth elements essential for manufacturing smartphones, electric vehicles, and AI-driven systems.

However, much of the extraction is controlled by foreign companies, with limited industrial processing taking place locally.

Pope Leo XIV warned that such patterns of resource extraction, if left unchecked, could further entrench dependency and social instability on the continent.

Beyond the economic concerns, the pontiff also addressed the social and technological consequences of the AI era, cautioning that unchecked digital transformation could distort human interaction and deepen global divisions.

He said societies risked becoming trapped in “bubbles impermeable to one another,” where fear of difference replaces dialogue and understanding, leading to increased polarisation and violence.

“When simulation becomes normal, we lose touch with reality,” he said, adding that young people must resist systems that offer “easy gains” but ultimately erode moral and social values.

The Pope also delivered a message of peace amid Cameroon’s ongoing Anglophone crisis, urging reconciliation in a region that has experienced years of separatist violence and displacement.

His visit to Douala followed earlier engagements in conflict-affected areas and a stop at a Catholic hospital, where he met patients and medical workers.

At the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaounde, he expanded on his concerns about AI, warning that the technology, while transformative, must not be allowed to intensify inequality or disconnect humanity from truth and reality.

The 11-day tour, which began in Algeria, has been marked by a recurring theme of Africa’s place in global systems of power, faith, and economics.

The Pope is expected to proceed to Angola before concluding his visit in Equatorial Guinea.