Kremlin-allied Ukrainian politician target of assassination attempt in Crimea

A prominent Ukrainian politician with pro-Russian leanings, who fled Ukraine in 2014, was reportedly shot during the early hours of October 27 in Russian-occupied Crimea, as per reports from Russian sources.

As reported by the Kyiv Independent, Oleg Tsaryov, originally from the Ukrainian region of Dnipro, is a former legislator for the Party of the Regions, associated with the former pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.

After the EuroMaidan Revolution, Tsaryov initially entered the 2014 presidential elections as a candidate but later withdrew his candidacy, citing concerns for his safety. Subsequently, he assumed an official role within Russia's controversial proxies in Ukraine's Donbas region in the East.

Tsaryov is currently said to be in a serious condition, receiving medical treatment in a hospital. According to his Telegram channel, his relatives have confirmed the incident, stating that he was shot twice on the premises of the sanatorium where he resides.

Oleg Tsaryov has been sought by Ukrainian authorities since Russia's initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014, owing to his support for the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories. In March 2022, new charges were brought against him by a court in Kyiv when he appeared in the Russian-occupied Borodianka in Kyiv Oblast, claiming to be involved in humanitarian aid efforts.

According to experts, the US intelligence had identified Tsaryov as a potential puppet leader whom the Kremlin could have installed if their attempt to occupy Kyiv had been successful. Tsaryov openly acknowledged his participation in Russia's full-scale invasion and has been subject to Western sanctions since 2014.