A 65-year-old man killed in Astravets district: according to the Interior Ministry, he fired at police officers

A 65-year-old local resident was killed in the village of Staraya Rudnia in Astravets district, Hrodna region. The Interior Ministry of Belarus reported this on October 23. According to the ministry's version, the man opened fire on police officers, and fighters of the Cyclone special unit used lethal force.

The reason for the call-out, according to the Interior Ministry, was information that the man kept an unregistered hunting rifle and was threatening his neighbours with it. The police officers came to check this report.

Police officers arrived at the scene together with fighters of the Interior Ministry's Cyclone special-purpose unit of the internal troops. According to the ministry's description, the man put up armed resistance and fired a shot in the direction of the officers, who, as the statement says, faced a real threat.

The Interior Ministry, whose subordinates used weapons, says the officers returned fire, while the ministry's Telegram channel writes that the man was "eliminated." The ministry uses the wording "used lethal force" for the actions of the Cyclone fighters.

During an examination of the man's house, according to the Interior Ministry, a homemade weapon was found.

Article 7 of the law "On Weapons" (No. 61-Z), as explained in March 2025, allows citizens to own civilian weapons — self-defence, hunting, sporting and signal weapons — and to use them only for their intended purpose. In January 2023, a state body's website reminded that both criminal and administrative liability is provided for illegal actions with weapons and ammunition.