A Russian soldier on Friday opened fire at fellow troops in a Siberian military base, killing eight and wounding another two, the defense ministry said.
“The serviceman who opened fire has been detained,” the ministry said in an October 25 statement quoted by Russian news agencies, blaming the incident on a possible “nervous breakdown.”
The incident took place at a military base in the Zabaykalsky region in Russia’s Far East.
“The actions of the serviceman could be the result of a nervous breakdown caused by personal circumstances not connected to his military duty,” the defense ministry said, citing preliminary information.
The wounded were hospitalised, the ministry said, adding that their injuries were not life-threatening.
A commission chaired by Deputy Defense Minister Andrei Kartapolov was on its way to the base.
A defense ministry spokesman declined to immediately comment when reached by AFP.
With reporting from AFP