In Chelyabinsk, law enforcement agencies are actively seeking a man after an assault on an elderly retiree on a public road. Surveillance video from street cameras captured the moment a black SUV stopped on the curb, a man stepped out, and pepper spray was directed at the pensioner. The confrontation appears to have begun on a routine street interaction and quickly escalated into aggression, with the suspect retreating to the vehicle after applying the spray. The retiree reported the incident to local police and was treated for eye irritation and breathing discomfort. Detectives are asking anyone with information to come forward to help identify the assailant and the vehicle, and to assist in clarifying the sequence of events on that day.
Following the assault, the retiree went to a nearby police station to file a report. He described a dispute that arose when the two drivers’ paths crossed on a busy street, and he believed the other motorist took offense quickly, proceeding to threaten with force. The victim’s account is being used in the investigation to determine if the attack was premeditated or a reaction to a momentary provocation.
CCTV footage shows the suspect stepping from the black SUV, moving toward the retiree who had parked near a garden area. The assailant delivered a kick, then sprayed pepper spray toward the victim’s face twice, causing immediate pain and forcing bystanders to scramble for help. Witnesses say the man did not hesitate after the first spray, making sure the elderly man was incapacitated before retreating back to his vehicle.
Witness statements indicate the conflict began when the retiree allegedly cut the other driver off on the road. The motive remains unclear, but the surrounding crowd recalls a heated exchange that quickly turned violent, setting the stage for the pepper spray incident that followed.
Earlier in the day, local reports described a separate road crash involving a Volkswagen and a passenger car. The crash reportedly sent the other vehicle spinning, and the UAZ vehicle nearby overturned as a result of the impact. Investigators are reviewing the earlier crash for any possible connection to the later pepper spray attack, though no direct link has yet been established.
On the same day, a separate note from bus operators described a driver reporting a student who could not pay the fare. That detail does not appear linked to the assault, but it is included in the day’s public-safety briefing as part of the broader discussion of traffic safety and urban life.