Tragic Accident Claims Life of Ukrainian Military Aide in Grenade Explosion
In a tragic incident, Major Hennadiy Chastyakov, a close aide of the head of Ukraine’s armed forces, Valery Zaluzhny, lost his life when a grenade exploded during his birthday celebration.
Major Chastyakov, aged 39, had returned home with birthday presents from colleagues and was opening them with his son when the explosion occurred.
Tragically, Major Chastyakov was killed, and his 13-year-old son was seriously wounded. The Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, provided details of the incident, stating that the boy had started turning the ring on the grenade.
The serviceman then took the grenade from the child and pulled the ring, leading to the tragic explosion. The incident has been described as a “tragic accident,” and the minister has appealed to the public to await the outcome of an official investigation.
Police have confirmed that the explosion resulted from the careless handling of ammunition.
Shockingly, it was revealed that five more grenades were found in Major Chastyakov’s flat. These grenades had been gifted to him by a colleague in the army.
Two similar grenades were discovered in a search of the colleague, described as a colonel in the army. Pictures from the scene showed additional grenades on the floor of the flat, along with other gift bags. Major Chastyakov had apparently brought the grenades home in a bag with a bottle of whisky.
A source reported that the bottle was in a gift bag with grenade-shaped glasses, and the explosion occurred when Major Chastyakov opened the bag.
There are also reports suggesting that his colleague handed over the bottle, saying, “It’s hard to surprise you: That’s why I’m giving you combat grenades and a bottle of good whisky.”
General Zaluzhny expressed his grief over the loss of Major Chastyakov, describing him as a “reliable shoulder” since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
This incident marks another setback for the Ukrainian military, coming on the heels of a missile strike that killed 19 soldiers in a Russian attack on an awards ceremony near the front line in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia. The ceremony was criticized for being allowed to proceed in a dangerous area.
Ukraine’s pro-presidential MP, Maryana Bezulha, attributed Major Chastyakov’s death to negligence, emphasizing that “grenades are issued, not given as presents.” Nevertheless, the official cause of the explosion has raised questions among Ukrainian commentators, with speculation about whether it was an attack aimed at General Zaluzhny himself, on the assumption that he might have attended his aide’s birthday celebrations.
The incident has cast a spotlight on the challenges faced by the Ukrainian military, with General Zaluzhny recently stating that the conflict had reached a technological stalemate.
He compared the situation to World War I, emphasizing that there would likely be no significant breakthrough. However, both the Kremlin and President Volodymr Zelensky denied that the war had reached a deadlock.
President Zelensky appealed to Ukrainians to remain united and avoid disputes, particularly as the country is at war. He also announced that, due to the ongoing martial law, the presidential elections scheduled for next spring were not appropriate at this time.
The tragedy serves as a somber reminder of the impact of the ongoing conflict and the challenges faced by Ukrainian military personnel.
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