German prosecutors charged a Russian man with the murder of two Ukrainian soldiers who were receiving medical treatment in southern Germany, media reported Wednesday.
The 57-year-old Russian national was arrested in April after the two Ukrainian soldiers were found stabbed to death at a shopping center in the Bavarian town of Murnau.
Witnesses said the three men had been seen together before the incident and had been drinking heavily. One of the soldiers died at the scene of the stabbing, while the other died after being taken to the hospital.
Prosecutors said Wednesday the suspected killer, who “unreservedly” supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “decided to kill the two strongly intoxicated Ukrainians in a surprise attack,” according to Deutsche Welle and Euronews. The Russian man’s name was not released because of German privacy laws.
“The accused felt that his national pride was hurt,” the Munich public prosecutor’s office was quoted as saying. A state court in Munich will now decide whether and when the murder case goes to trial, according to Euronews.
Prosecutors said in April that the case was being investigated for a possible political motive.
AFP contributed reporting.
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