Chisinau Airport Shooting: Updated Details on Yesterday's Violent Attack
Quick Hit: July 1, 2023
This article is a followup to yesterday’s Quick Hit about the shooting at the Chisinau International Airport that resulted in the death of a border guard and an airport security officer.
What we know so far…
On Friday June 30 at 5:30 pm gunshots rang out in the Chisinau International airport. The shooting occurred in the arrivals area after a man later identified as a Tajik citizen was refused entry for security reasons. While being escorted to a holding area prior to being deported the man took a gun from a border police officer and shot the officer as well as an airport security officer killing them both. The man then holed up in the airport. Initial, unconfirmed reports emerged that the shooter had taken hostages, this was denied in a statement by Viorel Cernauteanu, head of the General Police Inspectorate, who said that there were no hostages taken and everyone in the airport at the time of shooting was evacuated safely.
Passengers and airport staff evacuated the airport. Passengers who were not yet through security were taken out front and waited on the airport approach road next to the monument of an old Soviet airliner. Passengers inside security were evacuated onto the tarmac where they were brought by busses to the far end of the runway and waited in a grassy field.
By 6:16 FULGER Police Special Forces were on site at the airport working to detain the shooter. At 6:30 FULGER announced that they had “neutralized” the suspect saying that he was taken into custody and was “injured.”
Bob Eckhart, an American Fulbright Professor who was at the airport spoke to Moldova Matters and confirmed this timeline. Mr. Eckhart and his wife were about to board their plane when security officers hurried everyone in the departures area into buses and away from the terminal a little after 5:30. They were evacuated across the tarmac where they waited for around 2 hours.
Mr. Eckhart says that this picture shows security services preparing to enter the building. Shortly after, at 6:28 passengers heard a “volley of gunfire” and “loud booms” which Mr. Eckhart took to be stun grenades.
Regarding the condition of the shooter, Police and Prosecutors have only stated that he was “neutralized” by FULGER and is being treated for injuries in custody.
Politician Dragos Galbur, leader of the Moldovan National Party (a small extra-parliamentary party), announced on his telegram that the shooter was shot 10 times but FULGER officers saying:
"He has a broken forearm, a wound in his shoulder, several wounds in the chest and stomach, doctors have already removed a piece of the lung. He is under the protection of the Fulger squad,"
This is not confirmed from official sources.
What’s We Know About the Shooter…
Acting Prosecutor General Ion Munteanu stated to the press that the man was denied entry to Moldova because he could not adequately justify his reasons for coming to the country and he behaved aggressively with border police. At the time of his arrival in Moldova the man was not listed in any police databases including Interpol. The Acting Prosecutor General noted that they have no information suggesting that the man had a military background or was part of a mercenary organization. Previously, journalists had reported rumors that the man was part of the Wagner Organization, this has turned out not to be true.
Following the news breaking last night, the Tajik Embassy in Kyiv which is responsible for relations with Moldova, announced that they were investigating the identity of the shooter. Later the Tajik Prosecutor General’s Office announced that the man’s name is Rustam Ashurov and he is a wanted member of an organized crime group. Ashurov had been charged in relation to the June 23rd kidnapping of Shuhrat Ismatulloev, former First Deputy Chairman of "Orionbank" in Tajikistan. The kidnapped banker is still missing and Tajik authorities are offering a $30,000 reward for information leading to his return. Tajik authorities allege that Ashurov fled Tajikistan after the warrant for his arrest was issued. He flew to Turkey and then on to Moldova with the intention of entering the EU and hiding from prosecution.
Ashurov faces life in prison in Moldova on charges for “terrorism involving the killing of several people.”
The Victims
Authorities have announced the identities of the 2 victims of the attack. Border Guard Sergei Muntyan, aged 31, had worked with the department since 2011. Airport Security Officer Igor Chiofu, aged 40, had worked for airport security since 2022. He was a father of 3.
Aftermath
Moldova’s leadership, including the President and Prime Minister, have all expressed condolences to the families of the victims. Minister of Economy Dumitru Alaiba praised the heroism of the officers and called on people not to resort to ethnic prejudices or hatred. He specifically highlighted the importance, and cost, of law enforcement’s actions identifying potentially dangerous people at the border saying:
“… I would say that our way of life and everything that surrounds us, and this peace in society is worth a lot. And today it cost two lives, because these heroes died doing their duty, so that a person with extremely perverse, criminal motives would not enter this country. Because if it happened at the airport, then it could happen outside the airport,"
Meanwhile, the opposition offered condolences while taking the opportunity to call for the resignation of the government. Igor Dodon said that the tragedy highlighted the “incompetence of the country’s leadership.” Mark Tkachuk, leader of the Civic Congress Party, made made a particularly confusing allegation that "this is exactly what happens" as a result of the government’s policy under the State of Emergency. He alleged that the arbitrary way in which people are denied entry to the country was bound to result in violence. Apparently Moldova would be much safer if police allowed Wagner Mercenaries and violent criminals easier entry. The logic of this argument is besides the point. It’s worth noting the lengths that Tkachuk and others of the pro-Russian opposition will go to blame the current authorities for anything, even the “offense” of refusing entry to violent criminals.
By 7:55 pm some flights had resumed with the airport operating in a “special mode.” At time of writing, departures are proceeding normally but arrivals are being processed through the separate VIP terminal used to receive high ranking government visitors. Arrivals are proceeding slowly with reports saying that passengers must wait on the tarmac to enter the VIP terminal 5 at a time. Then they wait outside in the pickup area for their bags to be brought to them. Airport officials and law enforcement are working to bring the airport back to normal operations but the timeline has not been specified.
Wow is all I can say!