After two Ukrainians were allegedly stabbed to death by a Russian in Murnau, Bavaria, the public prosecutor’s office is now investigating. A political background to the crime cannot be ruled out.
The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office has taken over the investigation into the case of two Ukrainians who were stabbed to death in Bavaria. The prosecution said a political background could not be ruled out. A 57-year-old Russian citizen is in custody because of Saturday’s crime. The police headquarters in Upper Bavaria South announced on Sunday that there was urgent suspicion.
According to current information, the two victims, aged 23 and 36, are Ukrainian soldiers. The motives and background of the crime are still unclear. The two men were found on the premises of a shopping center in Murnau early Saturday evening. The 36-year-old died from his injuries on site; according to police, the 23-year-old died in a nearby hospital in the evening.
Ukrainian soldiers apparently go to rehab in Germany
The suspect was arrested shortly after the victims were found at their residence not far from the crime scene. The two victims lived in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen district. According to Ukrainian media, the two men were in Germany for medical rehabilitation following war injuries. The public prosecutor’s office announced that the two had been in the Murnau region for medical treatment since the second half of 2023.
According to previous investigations, the three men knew each other. The investigators explained that there was a previous relationship. It can be assumed that all three had consumed alcohol. “We have clear indications that the suspect was drunk,” said police spokesman Stefan Sonntag.
reactions of the Federal Government and Ukraine
The federal government also commented on the act. “This is a worrying incident, no question about it,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin. The authorities in Bavaria are now investigating the incident closely. “What these motives are can only be speculated about at the moment,” he added.
The Ukrainian Consulate General announced that it would locate the victims’ units and inform the families. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered that further developments be followed closely and that contact be maintained with the German investigative authorities.
The fact that the public prosecutor’s office is taking over the investigation does not mean that there is necessarily a political motivation behind the case. According to police information, there was initially no indication that the Russian war of aggression played a role. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians live in Germany.