MOSCOW. Nov 25 (Interfax-AVN) - A special operation aimed at freeing hostages taken by deserters earlier on Thursday culminated with one of the deserters, Alexander Oparin, shooting himself and his brother Dmitry surrendering, a police source told Interfax.
None of the hostages or police officers was hurt, the source said.
At about 5 a.m. Moscow time (0200 GMT), two conscripts, who had served 18 months in the 450th Regiment stationed in the Moscow region town of Solnechnogorsk supporting the Frunze Military Academy, left a sentinel room with their assault rifles and ammunition.
The drove in a stolen car toward the town of Dmitrov, where they shot dead two police officers who tried to stop them, took an elderly couple hostage and hid in a house.