Russian defense ministry reports 11 fatalities and 15 injuries from a shooting at a military range

At a Russian military firing range near Ukraine, two volunteer soldiers opened fire on other soldiers, killing 11 and injuring 15, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday.

The incident happened in the southwest Russian region of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, according to a statement from the ministry. According to the report, the two ex-Soviet guys shot at soldiers when they were practicing their target shots and were then slain in retaliation.

The event was classified as a terrorist attack by the ministry.

The incident occurs as President Vladimir Putin hastily mobilizes the Russian military in Ukraine, an action that sparked riots and forced hundreds of thousands to escape Russia.

In an effort to recruit 300,000 more reservists, Putin stated on Friday that more than 220,000 had already been called up.

Despite the Russian president’s declaration that only those who had recently served in the military would be called up, activists and rights organizations reported that military conscription offices were rounding up individuals without any prior military experience, some of whom were also medically unfit for duty.

Some of the recently recalled reservists shared recordings of how they were handed rusted weapons and made to sleep on the ground or even outside before being transferred to the front lines.

Authorities have admitted that the mobilization was frequently disorganized and made improvements.