"There was shooting in a kindergarten. Four [people] are dead," the government said.
According to the region's former governor and State Duma deputy Sergey Morozov, a caregiver and two children were killed as a result, and another caregiver was injured.
After the shooting, the attacker committed suicide, Morozov added.
No further details have been reported so far.
The governor of the region, Aleksey Russkikh, has cut short his trip to Tashkent and will return to Ulyanovsk as soon as possible. He expressed deep condolences to the families of the victims.
The Russian Investigative Committee has opened an inquiry into the shooting at the kindergarten.