Two men on Saturday opened fire on troops at a Russian army firing range near Ukraine, killing 11 and wounding 15 others, before dying, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said in a statement that the shooting took place in Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine. He said the two men, from an unnamed ex-Soviet nation, fired at soldiers during target practice and were killed by return fire.
The ministry described the incident as a terrorist attack.
The shooting comes amid a hasty mobilization ordered by President Vladimir Putin to bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, a move that sparked protests and sent hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Russia.
Putin said on Friday that more than 220,000 reservists had already been called up as part of an effort to recruit 300,000.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday. (Valery Sharifulin/Sputnik/Reuters)
The Russian leader had declared that only people who have recently served in the army will be subject to the call.
However, activists and rights groups have reported that military recruitment offices were recruiting people without any military experience, some of whom were also medically unfit for service.
Some of the newly called up reservists posted videos of them being forced to sleep on the ground or even outside, and given rusty weapons before being sent to the front.
The authorities have acknowledged that the mobilization was often poorly organized and have pledged to improve the situation.