Gennady A. Kernes, mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, is fighting for his life after being critically shot on Monday, the New York Times reported.
At 12:00 p.m., the 54-year-old politician was cycling near a major highway. He took the same route almost every day. Even though tensions ran high in the country, Kernes, a flamboyant figure who did not shy away from showcasing his lavish living style, did not change his workout regimen. He did take some security measures, and his security guards were following him in a car.
The mayor was ambushed by a group of gunmen, who shot him in the back. Kernes' security guards were too far away to intervene, said Iryna Kushchenko, a spokeswoman for the Kharkiv City Council.
Kernes is now in a critical condition, with his lungs, diaphragm and liver being damaged. "I can say this shot was aimed to kill, to the heart. And I can say that there is no death only due to a happy coincidence," said Mykhailo Dobkin, a close friend of Kernes' and a candidate running for presidency, in a press conference.
No arrests have been made, and it is not known who orchestrated the assassination attempt. Kernes used to be a close ally of the deposed President Viktor F. Yanukovych but has since softened his stance towards the interim government.
Kharkiv is located in eastern Ukraine, a region which is traditionally pro-Russian. It is only 30 kilometres away from the Russian border.
