Fastiv, Ukraine | September 3, 2025
A violent confrontation in the Kyiv region town of Fastiv has left one Azerbaijani citizen dead and his father wounded after a former Ukrainian serviceman opened fire following a street dispute.
According to journalist Mubariz Aslanov, the altercation began on August 31 over prices for goods being sold by the victims. The quarrel escalated when the assailant returned home to fetch a firearm and shot at the vendors, who were father and son.
As Report learned from law enforcement sources, the attacker has been identified as 52-year-old Alexander Ivanenko, a local resident and former soldier who served in the Ukrainian army from spring 2022 to autumn 2023.
Prosecutor of the Kyiv region, Dmytro Prokudin, confirmed to Report that the victims were watermelon sellers and ethnic Azerbaijanis — 28-year-old Ismail Raghimov and his father, Farman. “The assailant returned with a pistol and opened fire, killing Ismail instantly. His father sustained an injury but has since been discharged from hospital and is now arranging his son’s funeral,” Prokudin said.
The prosecutor added that a police officer who happened to be nearby was the first to intervene. Although off duty, he detained the armed suspect until backup arrived. Ivanenko has since been charged under three articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, including attempted murder of two or more persons — an offense carrying a sentence of ten years to life imprisonment.
Prokudin stressed that initial investigations have found no evidence the crime was motivated by ethnic or racial hostility. All necessary forensic examinations are underway.
