MOSCOW. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The Russian Defense Ministry has denied the authenticity of a video showing hazing of the soldier who shot a number of his fellow servicemen in the Transbaikal Territory, killing 8 of them.
"The unknown premises, the actions by unidentified persons, and the person shown in the video have no relation to what happened in the Transbaikal Territory on October 25, 2019, or the Armed Forces in general," the Russian Defense Ministry said in its statement.
A video showing the hazing of conscript Ramil Shamsutdinov was earlier published in the media.
The ministry said the video is "a major provocation."
According to earlier reports, eight military personnel were killed and another two wounded on October 25 when their fellow serviceman opened fire on them in a military unit in the Transbaikal Territory. Shamsutdinov, the attacker, had been conscripted from the Tyumen region in summer 2019.
The Defense Ministry said Shamsutdinov could have had a nervous breakdown due to personal issues that are not associated with his military service.