The "Popelnyansky Shooter," accused of killing soldiers and a volunteer, has passed away, according to "Suspilne."

This is reported by Suspilne citing his lawyers and relatives.

A few days before his death, according to the son of the accused, Alexei, his father fell ill and was taken to the hospital.

“He was in intensive care for two days, but unfortunately, he passed away on the morning of December 17,” he said.

The next hearing in his case was scheduled for January 13, and the prosecutor is demanding that lawyer Zakharенко be present to provide documents regarding his client's death.

It is worth noting that Anatoly Zakharенко was accused of murdering seven military personnel. Eight friends had come to vacation at the accused's lake in the Zhytomyr region, whom they claimed to have known for over 15 years, but during the night, seven of them were shot. Only one survived.

A witness stated that there were no conflicts between the group and the accused. However, he mentioned that the accused had consumed about 300 grams of vodka and was carrying a hunting rifle along with a loaded cartridge belt.

Zakharенко himself was dubbed the "Popelnya Shooter," and he spent the first two years of the investigation in custody, but later his preventive measure was changed to house arrest.