Montenegrin authorities have asked international partners for information about possible links between Russian citizen Mikhail Nikolayevich Shabunin and individuals involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine as investigators seek to determine the motive behind a triple murder at a shooting range in Danilovgrad.
Shabunin is suspected of killing three employees of the shooting range on August 31: 20-year-old Nemanja Kapor, 24-year-old Petar Globarević and 67-year-old Momir Radonjić.
According to reporting by Pobjeda, investigators are examining whether Shabunin had received military or specialized firearms training and whether he had previously stayed in or participated in the war in Ukraine. There is currently no official confirmation of either possibility.
The potential links to the war are being examined as one of several investigative leads concerning Shabunin’s background, contacts and possible motive.
Frequent travel between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to information published by Dmitry Lejn, founder of the Telegram channel “News Serbia,” Shabunin first entered Montenegro on July 7, 2026, traveling by bus from Serbia through the Dobrakovo border crossing.
His movements after entering the country have attracted investigators’ attention. Between July 7 and July 12 alone, he reportedly crossed the state border eight times, traveling by bus to Bosnia and Herzegovina and returning to Montenegro through the Sitnica, Šćepan Polje and Vraćenovići crossings.
Because of these frequent movements, Montenegrin authorities have requested information from international partner services about people with whom Shabunin may have been in contact before and during his stay in Montenegro.
Investigators examine possible advanced firearms training
Suspicion that Shabunin may have received specialized training has also been fueled by the manner in which the killings were carried out.
Security cameras reportedly captured Shabunin firing two pistols simultaneously. Sources familiar with the footage told regional media that his movements and reaction speed while handling both weapons appeared to indicate a level of proficiency beyond that of an ordinary shooting-range visitor.
Vijesti reported, citing a source familiar with the footage, that Shabunin may have been a professional shooter or received advanced firearms training.
However, this does not establish that he was a member of any military force or participated in the war in Ukraine. Investigators are still attempting to establish his background and training.
Phones and contacts under investigation
Montenegrin police and the National Security Agency are analyzing Shabunin’s mobile phones, contacts, communications and movements.
Investigators are particularly examining whether he had contact with Russian nationals who participated in fighting in Ukraine and whether any of them are currently in, or have previously stayed in, Montenegro or elsewhere in the region.
Authorities are also examining how his travel was financed, his stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina and his activities in recent months to determine whether his movements were purely personal or connected to people in his circle of contacts.
What is known about Shabunin’s background?
According to Russian media reports, Shabunin was born in February 1996 in Osa and later moved with his family to Perm.
He reportedly worked in a sporting-goods store and was interested in trail running, skiing and hiking. During his stay in Montenegro, regional media reported that he carried out woodcraft work and was looking for employment.
According to information from Russia’s Federal Bailiff Service, published by Antena M, Shabunin had at least two outstanding debts totaling around 500,000 rubles, or approximately €5,000.
The Armenian portal Sledstvie.info also reported that he had crossed Russia’s border with Abkhazia dozens of times in recent years.
According to the same source, his father, a former judge, graduated from Russia’s Higher School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and worked in the Perm prosecutor’s office.
Possible Ukraine-war links remain only an investigative lead
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Western intelligence services have repeatedly warned about potential Russian recruitment networks and covert operations involving individuals operating outside Russia.
European countries have also reported cases of alleged sabotage, arson, espionage and attacks on infrastructure in which Russian intelligence services were suspected of using recruited operatives.
However, there is currently no public evidence linking Shabunin to Russian intelligence services, the Russian military or Russian military operations in Ukraine. Montenegrin authorities are examining such connections only as one possible line of inquiry.
Shabunin spent time with young people before the killings
A day before the killings, Shabunin reportedly spent time at the Zeta River with several young people he had befriended. When they parted, he allegedly gave them his phone number and left carrying a black bag.
The following day, he went to the shooting range in the village of Strahinjić, where he allegedly killed three employees, took weapons and ammunition, and stole one of the victims’ vehicles.
The young people he had met the previous day reportedly recognized him from media reports about the police search and contacted authorities.
A taxi driver who transported Shabunin toward Herceg Novi also assisted investigators. Shabunin had reportedly left his passport and phone with the driver as a guarantee, promising to pay for the journey later.
Motive remains unknown
Montenegro’s Police Director Lazar Šćepanović has said that Shabunin had visited the Danilovgrad shooting range several times and was not listed in police records as a person of security interest.
After the killings, Shabunin fled the scene and was later located in Herceg Novi. Special police units and a helicopter belonging to the Montenegrin Armed Forces took part in the operation.
At around 3:35 a.m., Shabunin died by suicide in a wooded area above the Topla neighborhood.
The motive for the triple killing remains unknown. Montenegrin authorities are working to reconstruct the final months of Shabunin’s life, including his contacts, movements and state of mind.
Possible connections to people involved in Russia’s war in Ukraine remain one of several investigative directions, but authorities have not established a link between Shabunin and the war or Russian security services.
