The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has confirmed that a Russian serviceman has killed a Ukrainian officer.

"We confirm the death of a Ukrainian officer in the village of Novofedorivka in Crimea," the ministry's press service told Interfax-Ukraine.

According to the report, the Russian serviceman shot dead the Ukrainian officer near the hostel where the latter lived.

At the same time, Director of the Center for Military and Political Studies Dmytro Tymchuk wrote on his page on Facebook on Monday that "at 2345, Russian serviceman, Junior Sergeant Ye. S. Zaitsev, killed in two shots at point-blank range a serviceman of the military unit No. 1100, Major K., who was preparing to leave for the mainland, in his hostel room."

He wrote that Captain A. Yermolenko, who was also in the room, had been beaten and abducted by Russian troops. Tymchuk said that Russian servicemen had also taken the body of the Ukrainian major.