Solovyov - a 20-year-old conscript - armed with a Kalashnikov assault-rifle, entered the tent where an ensign and several soldiers were resting and opened fire at them. Upon hearing the shooting, other border guards came running to the tent and disarmed Solovyov. The soldier was then transported to the military prosecutor’s office where he is to be questioned by the republican prosecutor Vladimir Ganychka.
Initially, the Federal Border Guard service reported that Solovyov had wounded 7 servicemen and no deaths were confirmed. Later, however, news agencies reported that 5 servicemen had died immediately and the others were hospitalized in a serious condition.
Several border guards remain in hospital in a critical condition and the republic’s blood transfusion centre has requested blood donations.
The press-service of the main staff of the Federal Border Guard service could not confirm the latest death toll to Gazeta.Ru. According to the military, all the wounded servicemen were rushed to various hospitals across Karachayevo-Cherkessia and not to the border troops’ military hospital. Therefore, the exact number of victims is yet to be confirmed.
Moreover, the incident occurred in the mountains, making it difficult to contact investigators currently working at the scene and to find out the names of the victims. The press-service confirmed that the head of staff of the North-Caucasian regional directorate of the Federal Frontier Service General-Lieutenant Valery Putov had arrived at the scene together with a group of investigators.
According to one of the theories, currently being examined by investigators, Denis Solovyov opened fire at his fellow-servicemen in a state of narcotic intoxication. According to witnesses, shortly before his rampage Solovyov had feasted on hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Hallucinogenic mushrooms, commonly known as ''magic mushrooms'', contain traces of powerful drugs. In large amounts, they have effects comparable to LSD, one of the most potent psychoactive drugs known. Substance abuse is said to be widespread in the harsh conditions of the Russian military.
The investigators, however, are not ruling out that Solovyov could have been the victim of bullying and sought to take revenge on his tormentors. Incidents of older soldiers beating young recruits are commonplace throughout the Russian armed forces and according to some reports, Solovyov was the youngest soldier at the post.
The incident comes days after Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov released figures for the number of non-combat deaths in the military. Solovyov’s shooting spree is the third such serious incident in the Russian army this year.
On 13 February this year two servicemen of the 31st unit of the Airborne Troops based in the Ulyanovsk Region went AWOL. While on the run they killed 9 people, including 5 policemen and wounded 2 more. During detention one of them committed suicide and the other was shot dead by the police in the operation to detain him.
Another tragedy occurred on August 25 in North Ossetia, where two servicemen of the Nazran border troops unit, Oleg Khismatulin and Nikolai Bozhkov, opened fire at their fellow-servicemen and fled from their barracks. 8 soldiers died. A week later the deserters were arrested and confessed to the murders.
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