Ukrainian-born rapper Denis Ustimenko, known professionally as Dzhigan, opened fire on staff at his home in the Moscow region after holding employees hostage for ten hours.
Russian media reported that the recording artist gathered his domestic workers in a living room while armed with a weapon, accused them of various offenses, and subsequently shot a security guard in the arm and leg.
According to Russian journalists, Ustimenko wore combat clothing and confronted his staff with a Saiga-9 carbine. He allegedly demanded confessions from workers under threat of death, believing those around him were plotting his murder. During the ten-hour ordeal, the musician's children hid inside closets throughout the residence while secretly messaging updates to their mother.
Russian outlets stated that Ustimenko targeted one guard with accusations of pedophilia, held a firearm to the man's head to extract a confession, and gave him five seconds to attempt an escape before firing at his limbs. He then accused the remaining staff of treason, leaking private information, and political hostility.
Hostage ordeal and police intervention
Neighbors residing near the estate reported hearing gunshots coming from the property and alerted law enforcement. Police officers arrested the rapper at the scene. Authorities subsequently transferred him to a medical rehabilitation center in Israel, where he reportedly continues to undergo treatment.
Ustimenko's wife, model and social media influencer Oksana Samoylova, was traveling abroad when the incident occurred. Upon returning home after the confrontation, she confirmed that her husband had carried out an attack against their domestic employees. The couple has four children together.
Background and career
Ustimenko was born in Odesa, a major port city on the Black Sea coast of southern Ukraine. He launched his musical career in Russia, where he became a prominent hip-hop artist under the stage name Dzhigan. The Moscow region, where the shooting took place, is a suburban federal subject surrounding the Russian capital that features numerous gated private estates.
Although the shooting took place during the summer, details of the hostage situation only emerged publicly months later. Ustimenko, who has remained silent regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine, previously drew attention for publicly mocking Russian citizens who fled the country.
