Photos of dead soldiers allegedly killed in shootout at training ground in Russia’s Belgorod region appear online. Warning: graphic content

Photos allegedly taken following the shootout at a training ground in Russia’s Belgorod region have appeared online. The photographs were published by blogger Anatoly Shariy, their authenticity has not been confirmed.

The pictures show bodies lying on the ground. The blogger also published a screenshot of a certificate given to private Amizond Ekhson Todzhiddin.

“Photographs from the training ground where citizens (according to our information, of Uzbekistan) shot their fellow servicemen,“ Shariy signed the pictures. ”Our source says that they came to the draft office and said: ‘We want to defend the homeland; we want to help.’ They were given weapons and sent to the unit. They spent four days there, and then they opened fire on everyone during the shooting exercises. They shot 28 people. An officer present at the exercises, a sniper, killed them.”

[WARNING — GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW]

Yesterday evening, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that “two nationals of a CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] country” had opened fire at a training ground in Russia’s Belgorod region. Eleven people were killed, and 15 were injured. The ministry deemed the incident “a terrorist attack” and reported that the perpetrators had been killed in return fire. Baza Telegram channel pointed out that the shooting had taken place yesterday at about 10 AM at a training ground in the Valuyki district (Belgorod region).

Earlier today, the Russian Investigative Committee stated that criminal proceedings had been launched in relation to the incident. Kommersant newspaper reports that the case is being treated as a mass murder so far. However, terrorism charges may be added in the future.