Russian man admits deadly attack on Ukrainian soldiers in Germany

A Russian man on Monday admitted to stabbing two Ukrainian soldiers to death in southern Germany last year, while denying that the crime was linked to the war in Ukraine.

“Now, in a sober state, I deeply regret what happened,” the 58-year-old said via his lawyer on the first day of his trial at the Munich Regional Court.

Due to the possible political background to the killings, the Central Office for Combating Extremism and Terrorism of the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office had taken over the investigation.

However, according to the defendant, the incident in April 2024 was exclusively due to alcohol.

The man was said to be acquainted with the two Ukrainian soldiers, who were recovering in Germany from injuries suffered due to the Russian invasion.

The trio were drinking in a bar in the town of Murnau when an argument allegedly broke out over a bottle of vodka.

The Russian, who has several previous convictions, said he subsequently returned to his apartment to get a knife in order to intimidate the soldiers, and insisted he had not intended to hurt or kill the pair.

He said he “blew a fuse” after they made fun of him.

Prosecutors allege the incident was directly linked to the conflict in Ukraine.

The accused man felt “violated in his national pride” as a result of the dispute, the office said at the arraignment in October.

“As a supporter of an exaggerated Russian nationalism, he unreservedly advocates the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine,” the indictment against him said.

The 57-year-old has been living in Germany since the early 1990s.

The killings caused deep shock in the small community, which has a significant population of some 200 Ukrainians. Wounded soldiers are also treated in the town’s clinic on a regular basis.