08-05-2025
Crimea Official Panics Over Ukraine Drone Raid, Accidentally Kills Himself
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A top military official in Russian-occupied Crimea who became agitated during a Ukrainian drone barrage died after accidentally shooting himself, it has been reported.
The Russian Telegram channel Astra said that Sergei Tokarev had panicked when he heard drones buzzing overhead and armed himself, went out into the courtyard of his house and started shooting before fatally wounding himself.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
This illustrative image from May 12, 2023, in Ukraine's Lviv region shows Ukrainian military learn to fly drones with bombs attached .
This illustrative image from May 12, 2023, in Ukraine's Lviv region shows Ukrainian military learn to fly drones with bombs attached .Why it matters
Ukraine continues to use drones to strike at targets in Crimea, the annexed peninsula it has vowed to get back.
Its domestically-produced drones are also having a big impact in Russia, closing airports, targeting military infrastructure and causing chaos ahead of Moscow's Victory Day event marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany.
What to know
The Astra channel said that Tokarev, head of the military medical commission of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Sevastopol, got frightened during an air raid alarm overnight on May 1 sparked by a Ukrainian drone barrage.
Russian Telegram channels report that head of the military medical commission in Russian-occupied Crimea accidentally killed himself because he got scared during a massive attack on Sevastopol on May 2.
Reportedly, Sergey Tokarev got scared when the air raid alert sounded and… — Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 8, 2025
Arming himself with his pistol, he went out into the courtyard of his house and started shooting. Relatives tried to calm the man down, but he shot himself in the head, and emergency services later confirmed his death.
The death was also widely reported by Ukrainian media outlets and social media users. The local Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported how, during the barrage on May 1, explosions were heard over the peninsula, air defense was operating in areas near military facilities, and fires were recorded in several places.
The most intense explosions sounded near the airport of Simferopol, as well as near the air bases in Sevastopol.
Russia claimed to have thwarted the operation by shooting down 120 drones, including 20 over the Black Sea and 100 over land, but video and satellite imagery showed that there had been successful strikes on key targets.
Explosions were recorded near or at the airbases in Saky, Kacha, Hvardiiske, and Dzhankoi, with possible secondary strikes near Belbek, according to Ukrainian outlets.
What people are saying
Astra Telegram channel: "The head of the military medical commission of Sevastopol's Ministry of Internal Affairs died after accidentally shooting himself in the head during a massive drone attack."
Dennis Kazanksy, Kyiv-based journalist, on X: "This is the most unexpected effects of a drone I have ever heard about."
What happens next
Ukraine is likely to continue to launch drones at Russian military targets. This week the devices have been launched at Moscow, disrupting air travel and adding to speculation over whether Kyiv plans to disrupt the Victory Day celebrations in Red Square on Friday.
