Refused to leave the house – then Russian soldiers shot dead nine

Refused to leave the house then Russian soldiers shot

Published 2023-10-31 22.25

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full screen Older sister Nastja, mother Natasja Kapkanets and little brother Nikita were murdered on the night of Saturday. Photo: Telegram Channel Astra

Russian soldiers demanded to take over the Ukrainian family’s house.

When they refused to move, the whole family – nine people – was shot dead.

Two suspects for the crime in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Volnovacha have now been arrested.

Quick version

  • A family of nine was shot dead after refusing to let Russian soldiers take over their home in the Russian-occupied town of Volnovacha, Ukraine.
  • Two Russian soldiers, Anton Sopov and Stanislav Rau, have been arrested and confessed to the murders, claiming they wanted revenge on two family members who “insulted” them.
  • The family’s reluctance to hand over their home and the subsequent violence reflects the ongoing conflict and rights abuses in the region.
  • ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.

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    Russian soldiers knocked on the door of the Kapkanets family in Volnovacha on Friday, October 27, and demanded that they leave the house because the soldiers wanted to camp there.

    The family, who were celebrating Tatjana Kapkanet’s 51st birthday, refused to move out. The Russian soldiers then allegedly threatened “physical revenge” and left the scene, according to the Ukrainian newspaper Hromadske.

    full screen Tatjana Kapkanets was shot dead the night after she turned 51, as were her son Andrej and husband Eduard. Photo: Telegram Channel Astra

    On the night of Saturday, when the whole family was asleep, the soldiers came back and shot dead all nine in the house.

    Among the dead are 4-year-old Nikita, his older sister Nastya and their mother Natasya Kapkanets.

    – All were shot in the head, in their beds. All the neighbors say the killers were soldiers. We’re all scared now, says a neighbor to the Telegram channel Astra.

    fullscreenNikita and Nastja were shot dead while they were sleeping. Photo: Telegram Channel Astra

    Soldiers arrested – suspected of mass murder

    Two Russian soldiers were arrested yesterday Monday on suspicion of murder: 21-year-old Anton Sopov and 28-year-old Stanislav Rau, according to the Telegram channel VTjK-OGPU.

    Both have reportedly confessed to the murders.

    The men say they “only” wanted revenge on Eduard Kapkanets and his son Aleksandr Kapkanets because they “insulted” the two soldiers. But in the dark it was difficult to see who was who and therefore they shot dead everyone in the house, writes VTjK-OGPU.

    full screenAndrej Kapkanets and his wife Natasja were shot dead on the night of Saturday. Photo: Telegram Channel Astra

    Earlier on Monday, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ department in Volnovacha released black-and-white photos of two motorcyclists who were wanted. According to the wanted list, it was about two soldiers in their 30s, who were traveling on motorcycles that were red and white.

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