Russian soldier who shot 8 at base blames hazing ‘hell’

MOSCOW: A Russian soldier awaiting trial for killing eight in a shooting at a Siberian military base has said he committed the attack after hazing made his life "hell".

Conscript Ramil Shamsutdinov opened fire on troops at his army base in the Chita region in eastern Siberia last October, killing eight and injuring several. Officials quickly ruled out hazing, blaming the incident on a possible nervous breakdown. Shamsutdinov, 19, faces life in prison if convicted of mass murder.

In an open letter posted on social media on Thursday, Shamsutdinov said he was a victim of abuse and had no way of seeking help. "I regret I was not able to contain myself and opted for a measure of last resort but I had no other choice," he said in the hand-written letter whose authenticity was confirmed by one of his lawyers, Ruslan Nagiyev.

Shamsutdinov said he always wanted to serve in the army and become a professional soldier. "But I did not expect that I´d end up in such hell. There was nowhere to run and complain," he added.