«I’m not guilty», said a Chilean national who was arrested in connection with the shooting of two Colombians in Mykolaiv

Court hearing in the case of a Chilean national suspected of murdering two military personnel. Photo: NikVesti

In Mykolaiv, the Central District Court has imposed a preventive measure on Chilean national Rodrigo Sebastián Toro Carvajal, who is suspected of murdering two military personnel. He has been remanded in custody until 29 August without the right to bail.

This decision was made on 3 July by an investigating judge at the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, according to NikVesti.

According to the investigation, on the evening of 30 June on Heroes of Ukraine Avenue, the suspect, whilst sitting in the back seat of an Opel Vectra, fatally shot two of his fellow servicemen — the driver and a passenger in the car — with an M4 assault rifle. He has been charged under paragraph 1 of part 2 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the intentional murder of two people.

Court hearing in the case of a Chilean national suspected of murdering two military personnel. Photo: NikVesti

Court hearing in the case of a Chilean national suspected of murdering two military personnel. Photo: NikVesti

During the hearing, the prosecutor requested that the man be remanded in custody for 60 days without bail. The prosecution highlighted the risks that the suspect might abscond from the investigation and the court, unlawfully influence witnesses, obstruct the investigation or commit another criminal offence. The prosecutor also noted that the man is a foreign national and has no permanent residence or strong social ties in Ukraine.

Rodrigo Sebastián Toro Carvajal himself did not admit guilt.

«I am not guilty. I need to carry on working. I could not have killed my comrades; we had a good relationship. I came to Ukraine not for money, but to defend it,» he stated during the court hearing via an interpreter.

The suspect also claimed that the investigation had failed to mention circumstances which he considered important. According to him, there were two women in the car who could be witnesses to the incident, and there were three firearms, not just one, as the prosecution had stated.

Court hearing in the case of a Chilean national suspected of murdering two military personnel. Photo: NikVesti

Court hearing in the case of a Chilean national suspected of murdering two military personnel. Photo: NikVesti

The defence lawyer requested that the application be dismissed, emphasising that his client had not fled the scene, had cooperated voluntarily with the investigation and, during his first interview, had already mentioned the women and the presence of three firearms in the car. In the defence’s view, the prosecution had failed to demonstrate the risks necessary to justify the most severe preventive measure.

However, the investigating judge concluded that the suspicion was well-founded and that the risks cited by the prosecutor were sufficient to warrant remand in custody. The court granted the prosecution’s application and ordered Rodrigo Sebastián Toro Carvajal to be remanded in custody until 29 August 2026.

It was previously reported that the Mykolaiv regional police had provided details of a night-time shooting in a car, which resulted in the deaths of two foreign nationals.